A Study of Family Environment and Decision-Making in Secondary School Students

Family environment plays a foundational role in shaping adolescents’ cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development, particularly during the critical stage of secondary education. The present study investigates the relationship between family environment and decision-making abilities among secondary school students. Drawing upon Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, which emphasizes the influence of immediate social contexts on developmental outcomes (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), and Baumrind’s typology of parenting styles (Baumrind, 1991), this research conceptualizes family environment as a multidimensional construct encompassing parental support, communication patterns, autonomy encouragement, emotional climate, and socio-economic background. Prior empirical findings suggest that cohesive and supportive family environments positively influence adolescents’ self-regulation, problem-solving skills, and risk assessment capacities (Steinberg, 2001; Maccoby & Martin, 1983).