Parental support for adolescents' autonomy while making a first career decision

Background: First career-related decisions such as choosing a high school major have effects on adolescents' later life. Employing Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study was conducted to investigate the association between parental support and the type of motivation adolescents adopt while deciding, and the mechanism underlying these relations. Aims: The study aimed to examine whether perceived parental support of autonomy in adolescents' first career decision is associated with motivation to learn, satisfaction with choice, wellbeing, and success. Moreover, the study aimed to assess the mediating role of the extent to which adolescents' decision was made autonomously. Samples: Two hundred and twenty-nine 10th-grade students participated in this study. Methods: Participants completed questionnaires at the very beginning and end of the school year. Results: Through path analysis with bootstrapping, the findings indicated that adolescents who perceived their parents as autonomy-supportive during the process of decision making, made an autonomous decision. This “autonomously motivated decision” was found to be the mediating mechanism that explains the relations between parents' autonomy-support and the cognitive/emotional outcomes. Conclusions: The results highlight the positive role that parents can play in adolescents' career decisions by supporting their autonomy and helping them make an autonomous decision.