This text presents excerpts from Paul Lazarsfeld and Käthe Leichter’s contribution to Studien über Autorität und Familie (1936), focusing on empirical findings from a Swiss youth survey regarding family authority, guidance, and socialization. Through a close examination of questionnaire responses, the study explores the relative influence of parents, third parties, and individuals themselves in shaping decisions about education, occupation, religious practice, and personal concerns. The data reveal a marked predominance of parental authority, with fathers more frequently cited than mothers, although significant variation emerges depending on the subject matter. Methodological limitations are explicitly acknowledged, especially with regard to missing responses and interpretative difficulties tied to supplementary qualitative observations. Notably, questions about authority and corporal punishment elicited high rates of non-response, suggesting latent resistance among youths to engage with sensitive aspects of family power structures. Overall, the findings highlight the central yet contested role of parents in the formative decision-making processes of young people while also pointing to areas where individual autonomy and external influences challenge traditional patterns of authority.