THE DELUSION OF CHOICE

The Delusion of Choice and its Implications for both TCKs and ATCKs
Jakob Elmquist
University of Northern Iowa

Author Note
Jakob M. Elmquist, Master of Arts Student, University of Northern Iowa.
This research was supported in part by Dr. Gregersen.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jakob Elmquist,
Humanities Department, American International School - Riyadh, Riyadh, KSA 11421.
Contact: jelmquist@aisr.org

Abstract

THE DELUSION OF CHOICE

This research looks at the work of David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken, writers of Third
Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds. The concept they address in their text, the delusion
of choice, will be explored to highlight the impact on TCKs (Third Culture Kids) and ATCKs
(Adult Third Culture Kids). This research draws upon primary sources including a survey of
ninety-two individuals and journals of six grade eight TCKs and two ATCKs. Through analyzing
the qualitative and quantitative data, the research will better illustrate the delusion of choice
and its overall impact on the lives of TCKs and ATCKs.

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The Delusion of Choice and its Implications for both TCKs and ATCKs
Numerous studies have been conducted on the impact of being both TCKs and ATCKs,
centering on the psychological impact, confused loyalties, struggles with identity, and bouts of
depression. However, little is stated about the importance of choice and its impact in eventually
developing these challenges for TCKs and ATCKs. Mental health professionals define delusion
of choice as a choice that is offered, but circumstances or the intervention of others arbitrarily
eliminates that choice. Pollock and Van Reken (2009) claim that many TCKs have difficulty
in making or feeling excited about plans at all. Through comprehending the issue and its root
causes, the research will hope to elucidate methods to answer the question, how can
TCKs/ATCKs better handle the delusion of choice to be successful individuals?
Literature Review
In Pollock and Van Rekens (2009) text, part two reviews The TCK Profile. The first
section of this segment analyzes the benefits and challenges of being TCK/ATCK. It was found
that due to their transitory lifestyle, many TCKs/ATCKs live life in urgency. Many of them end
up asking themselves, Why even make plans for what I want to do? Ill just have to leave
again (Pollock and Van Reken, 2009, p. 107). While the situation is a bit extreme, this is the
case for some students. Moving around can be beneficial for some people, and it can also be
transitory for others. Students claim that they may hate a specific region, but they had no choice
in the matter and are just waiting to return home.
The text also discusses the superstitious dimension related to making choices. Rather
than be disappointed, they refuse to acknowledge to themselves, let alone others or to God, what
they would like to do (Pollock and Van Reken, 2009, p. 107). The text frequently reiterates the
difficulty of making choices. ATCKs feel that there are better options so they wait until the last

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minute to make a choice, and then TCKs at times don't make any choice in fear of commitment.
Living in the Kingdom of Saudi where many kids are in and out due to the oil industry, makes
me question how students feel about the choices they have in life. A couple students point to
what Pollock and Van Reken later state in this section, Experience has taught them that life not
only offers multiple options, but these options can appear suddenly and must be acted on quickly
or they will be gone (Pollock and Van Reken, 2009, p. 107). Sadly, international fairs for
teachers seem to promote this ideal. The business and schools dont look at the ramifications it
has on ATCKs/TCKs in conducting business in this manner.
The last aspect of this section discusses the need to wait until last minute in making a
choice. A decision that both authors state eliminate the risk of disappointment or having to
change plans (Pollock and Van Reken, 2009, p. 107). This point is an outcome of the
previously mentioned aspects of this section. Having multiple choices in life make it extremely
difficult to settle on just one. Knowing that a choice has to be made will be easiest to make at
last minute after having gone through all possible options. While this can be seen as a positive to
weigh all options, for TCKs/ATCKs the deadline for a choice can seem daunting.
Methods and Procedures
The methods I took to attain the information for my research started with a brief Google
Forms survey. I posted my survey on my classroom Moodle page to elicit responses, but I also
posted this on the International School Teachers Facebook page to gain a wider audience. The
questions I posted are as follows:
What is your name?
How old are you?
How many places have you lived in your lifetime?

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Where are you currently living?
How do you believe choices are made?
Do you have difficulty making or getting excited about plans in the future?
Do you struggle with long-term plans?
Do you fear things that have significant time commitment?
Do you think settling one choice limits you from making other possible options?
Do you seem to make choices last minute?
Do you believe its best not to try than risk disappointment or failure?
In your own opinion, what choices do you have control over in your daily life?
How do you handle long-term relationships (eg. friends, romance)?
How often would you say other people make decisions for you?
I obtained results from ninety-two people ranging in age from 12-60. Of those ninetytwo people, fifty-two of them were eighth grade students at my school. After one week of
allowing submissions, I converted all results from the survey into a Google Sheets form for
easier analysis. From there, I chose to follow a purposive sampling method by attaining people
that would allow me to better understand the impact of choice on their lives. I ended up with
four female and two male eighth grade students. I was also able to get responses from two
female ATCKs who are 31 and 40. In their responses, they were asked to journal about the
following questions and then send them to me in a Google Doc:
How does moving around impact the choices you make?
With many choices that life has, do you struggle picking/choosing the right one? Why?
If you have difficulty making/feeling excited about plans in the future, explain why.
Do you believe moving around so much limits/eliminates the choices you have?

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How can mentors (teachers, parents, friends, etc.) assist you in handling choice?
After having collected that data, I reviewed their responses and took notes on common
similarities and differences. I also correlated their responses to the points mentioned in Pollock
and Van Rekens text, which Ive already highlighted through the literature review.
Results/Findings
Through examining all the data put forth by the Google Form, I was able to see the

differences between both TCKs and ATCKs as well how how answers were impacted by the
number of places theyve lived in. The results are as follows and continue in Appendix A:

The results demonstrate a stronger difficulty of handling/making choices with TCKs. With an
average of 10.19% answering in the most of the time/all the time categories, the TCKs
demonstrate their difficulty with choice in comparison to the 9.15% average of ATCKs.

THE DELUSION OF CHOICE

Comparison of the number of places to their responses was also done using cross tabulation. The
descriptive analysis of my information told me that the sample size was too small so the
correlations were not very meaningful. Having only fifty-three TCKs and thirty-nine ATCKs
varied the number of places they lived, so there were smaller numbers in regards to each

response to a question. The comparison of results are as follows and can also be seen within
Appendix B:

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The journal responses to my questions also highlighted a strong response in TCKs to

struggling with choice. When asked if they believe moving around so much eliminates the
choices they have, one student stated, Yes, it is because I never really wanted to move here in
the first place, but I don't have a say in almost anything. Another student also stated, Yes, I do.
For example, I cant have long term relationships. I really want to stay in an area. While on the
other hand, some students felt that moving provided more choice for them. A student stated,
No, I dont think it limits the choices I have. I think it actually gives you more choices; it helps

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you learn about other cultures and discover new ideas and lifestyles. Similar to the survey data,
the journal responses fluctuated in response to each individual student. The number of times
they had moved also didnt strongly correlate to their response.
In regards to the ATCKs, they seemed to believe that they had much more control over
choices in their life. While they struggled to make them at times, they seemed to be the ultimate
deciding factor. One ATCK stated, Moving around so frequently has broadened my variety of
choice. While there seem to be more options, it does become difficult in deciding what is
appropriate for my family and I. In regards to picking the right choice, one ATCK said, Yes,
choosing the right choice makes me anxious. I know there are multiple opportunities available,
but picking the right one is difficult. Again, while there were conflicting ideas, the overall
consensus resided on that they had strong control over making choices in their lives.
The common themes that reoccured throughout my data analysis was that whether an
ATCK or TCK, the majority of responses fell under sometimes, never and rarely. The only
questions that altered these results were if you made choices last minute, and how settling on one
choice limits us from other options. The higher number of places moved to responding to all of
the time/most of the time had a negative correlation. The responses on how mentors can assist in
choices was also quite similar between all groups. A majority seemed to focus heavily on going
to others for advice. Getting another point of view usually aided many in handling their
dilemmas. One person stated, You could ask your mentors their opinions and on their point of
view. Hopefully, by hearing different opinions it helps you open your eyes to the different
situations and help you make your decisions. Another TCK also said, A way they can help me
is by giving me honest, and helpful information, that I know I can trust. The inclusion of others

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in making a choice seemed to reiterate my research question. Choices are extremely difficult to
make, but having others for support are what seem to put TCKs and ATCKs at ease.
Discussion
The limitations within my research resided on being able to have similar numbers of TCK
and ATCKs in each category of number of times moved. Having a small representation of one
category would automatically skew my data. The topic is also not highly researched within this
field. Upon doing my searches, Pollock and Van Reken continually were represented in my
results. It was difficult in finding a variety of sources that discussed the issue. The attainment of
data then relied heavily on me.
In the future, the number of participants within the research would greatly impact the
understanding of the topic. Having more people would assist in determining a positive or
negative correlation to my hypothesis. Also, having more one-on-one interviews would allow
for deeper comprehension of a persons perception of choice. Now having gone through the
process, it will be easier to analyze the data using various resources. The cross-tabulation
allowed for easier comprehension of my data.
Overall, the action research project was extremely difficult for me. The necessities
required for research are demanding. I feel as though anything can alter or misrepresent your
findings, so thinking in depth beforehand about your topic and how data can be skewed seems
endless. The analysis of the data also proved to be daunting for me. Being an English teacher,
the appropriate mathematical equations were strenuous until finally realizing that technology can
do that for us. Having a strong understanding of excel or Google Forms is a necessity in
research. Its quite interesting though upon attaining your data and being able to see if it

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correlates well to what you had originally predicted. While sad for me, I believe that additional
research will better aid me in understanding the actual relationship between my data.

Bibliography

THE DELUSION OF CHOICE

Pollock, D. C. & VanReken, R.E. (2009). Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds.
Nicholas Brealey Publishing: Boston, MA. ISBN: 978-1-85788-525-5

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

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