adoption

Question 1

define adoption

Answer 1

legal procedure
transfers parental responsibility to another
cut legal ties with bio parent

Question 2

historical background of adoption

Answer 2

informal procedure in many cultures

formal till

Question 3

adoption due to social service intervention

Answer 3

foetal alcohol syndrome
drug withdrawal
needs not met - negletc ie nutirition, attachment, abuse
learning disabilities
psychopathology

Question 4

age distribution of adopted children

Answer 4

majority 5-15 years

but those adopted majority 1-4yrs

Question 5

reasons for adoption

Answer 5

may have genetic disorder that dont want to pass on
single
infertile
different sexuality
altruism
kinship 
economics

Question 6

how can adoption influence child development

Answer 6

lower cog funtions
van ijzenboorn, juffer and poelhuis 2005 - metaanlysis over 18+ countries find that adopted tended to have more difficulties socially and in school but had similar iqs to control children

Question 7

romania 1989 and early deprivation

Answer 7

orphans victim of dictatorship - parents alcoholics, poor or couldnt cope
fall of dictatorship and children adopted
had cog defects, hyperactivity, social problems
over friendly and 10% autistic
low nutition - smaller head circumference

Question 8

beckett et al 2006 and early deprivation

Answer 8

longditudinal study - effect of deprivation and neglect on cognition
children stable till 6yrs
deprivation of >24m had to catch up to peers around age 11

Question 9

rutter et al 2010 and early deprivation

Answer 9

believed early experiences essential for development

deprivation of 6m had sig smaller cog function

Question 10

hodges and tizard 1989

attachment disruption and individual consistency

Answer 10

children have lots of carers in nursery but cant form attachment
compare adopt and those restored to bio parents to norm

2yrs - attach to lots of adults, fearful of strangers
4yrs - adoptt attach to adopt parents, over friendly with strangers
8yrs - adopt over friendly and quarrel with peers

in adolescence, adopt/restore have sig less special friends
but parents report says not sig compare

Question 11

attachment disruption and quality of care

Answer 11

children in care more disoranised attach
link to maternal insensitivity and frightening parenting styles
problems with stress reactivity, anger and learning probs - dysregulated physical growth and cortisol dysregulation (hormone in neuroendocrine system control emotion)

Question 12

explain scarr, weinberg et al on heritability and intelligence

Answer 12

identical twins reared together and apart have highest similarities in inteligence suggesting bio factor

Question 13

what do adoption and hereditary studies usually involve?

Answer 13

compare adopted child with bio parent and adopted parent
often longditudinal
look for correlations

Question 14

describe plomins group 1997 study

Answer 14

repeatedly test iq of adopted children compared to bio parents and adopt parents
as well as matched controls

bio and controls highest correlation but no real link with adopted child and parent