Work

Adolescent agency and behavioral characteristics: conformity, problematic behavior, need for cognition

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The concept of human agency has attracted considerable interest in academic and expert discussions concerning various life domains and age groups, including adolescents. However, the field lacks a unified approach to measuring agency for adolescents and understanding its relationship with their behavioral characteristics and attitudes. This study addresses these gaps by introducing an Adolescent Agency Index and examining its associations with behavioral characteristics such as сonformity, problematic behavior, and the need for cognition. The data was collected from students in grades 4 to 8 (N = 4,603; Mage = 12.6, SD = 1.7; 50.3% female). The analyses indicated a negative relationship between agency and conformity and a positive relationship between agency and problematic behavior; moreover, a stronger positive relationship was found with the need for cognition. At the same time, the nature of the relationship between agency and these characteristics is complex, non-linear. These findings provide valuable insights for educational policymakers, researchers, and families.

Source: Frontiers in Psychology

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1410170

Authors: Mikhail Goshin, Dmitry Grigoryev, Pavel Sorokin

Institution: National Research University Higher School of Economics

Language: English

Topic: Psychology of Development and Education

Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801

Funder: National Research University Higher School of Economics