Dr. Catherine Pei Wern Chou is a Project Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taiwan. Before joining NTU, she served as an Associate Professor at Southeast Missouri State University in the USA.She obtained herB.S. in Psychology from National Chengchi University in Taiwan andher M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside. Dr. Chou specializes in developmental psychology, withresearch focusing on parenting, culture, decision-making, risk-taking, and identity exploration among adolescents and emerging adults.She is an activemember ofthe Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD),the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA), and the Taiwanese Psychological Association.

This presentation introduces a cross-cultural study conducted in the U.S. and Taiwan, investigating the influences of parenting on health-related risk-taking behaviors (e.g., risky driving, binge drinking, and drug use) among adolescents. While previous research generally indicates that parental behavioral control benefits youth development, cultural perspectives vary on psychological control. In the U.S., psychological control is perceived negatively as it intrudes on children’s autonomy, whereas in Asia, it is often seen as a means of fostering familial order. This study explores the relationship between parental control and risk-taking behaviors, with a focus on how decision-making processes mediate this link across cultures. By highlighting the role of cultural context, the research underscores how societal norms shape parental influences on adolescent behavior. The findings offer insights into preventing risk-taking behaviors and promoting positive youth development. Practical implications will be discussed, emphasizing strategies to strengthen adolescent decision-making skills and parent-child relationships in diverse cultural contexts.