Adoption studies

Question 1

What are adoption studies?

Answer 1

• measure whether behaviour is because of a biological or environmental factor
• adoptees share no genetic information with their adopted ffamilies
• adoptees share 50% of genetic informaton with biological parents

Question 2

Leve : aim

Answer 2

• look at environmental issues related to parenting that interact with genetic factors eg behaviour
• ways in which environment might be protective of child’s genetic influences

Question 3

Leve: sample

Answer 3

• 360 sets adoptive triads
• adoption agencies in 10 US states
• adopted within 3 months of birth

Question 4

Leve: prodedure

Answer 4

• assessment with questionnaires and interviews
• salivary DNA collected twice a day for three weekdays
• telephone interviews on child’s well being and daily behaviour
• teachers completed on line questionnaires about child’s behaviour and peer relations

Question 5

Leve: results

Answer 5

• externalising behaviour of birth mothers could be genetically linked to child’s ability to externalise problems (physical behaviours)
• adoptive parents level of anxiety and depression linked to child’s problems with being unable to shift attention

Question 6

Leve: conclusions

Answer 6

• genetic factors of an adoptive child can interact with environmental influences provided by adoptive family to produce behaviours