Adoption Studies

Question 1

Hypothesis

Answer 1

Explaining criminal behaviour in comparison to their biological parents from their adoptive
More like biological- genetic causes
More like adoptive- environmental causes

Question 2

Which psychologist(s) is linked to adoption studies?

Answer 2

Hutchings and Mednick (1975)

Mednick et al ( 1994)

Question 3

Sample for Hutchings and Mednick

Answer 3

14000 adopted children

Question 4

Hutchings’ and Mednick’s findings

Answer 4

A high proportion of male participants with biological parents with convictions also had convictions themselves

Question 5

Mednick et al’s findings

Answer 5

No relationship was found between the number of criminal convictions of the adoptive parents and their child
However, a significant correlation between the number of biological parents convictions and their offspring were found

Question 6

Strengths

Answer 6

Biological and environmental factors are easily separated

Other studies further proved the correlation

Question 7

Weaknesses

Answer 7

Age of adoption creates prior influence from their parents or foster home
Information about the biological family may not be available
the adoption process may not always be random and children can be put in similar environments as their parents