Children's evaluations of decision-making procedures in peer, family, and school contexts

Children's evaluations of decision-making procedures were examined in appli cations in different social contexts. Seventy-two children evenly divided i nto three grade levels(grades 1-2, 3-4, 5-6) were administered a structured interview requiring them to evaluate three decision-making procedures (con sensus, majority rule, and authority-based) embedded in three social contex ts (peer group, family, and school classroom) and to select the most approp riate decision-making procedure for two specific decisions: one expected to pull for procedures emphasizing children's autonomous decision making, and one expected to pull for adult authority. Judgments of decision-making pro cedures at all grade levels did not show a heteronomous acceptance of adult authority but rather were influenced by social context and type of decisio n. In general, consensus was preferred in peer and family contexts and auth ority-based procedures were preferred for school decisions about curriculum . Older children were more likely than younger children to consider how chi ldren's limited knowledge and competence may constrain their autonomous dec ision making.