Leve’s Adoption Study

Question 1

What was the aim of Leve et al adoption study?

Answer 1

Investigating what environmental factors can interact with genes to affect behaviour, academia, child internalising problems and social competence

Question 2

What was the sample of the adoption study?

Answer 2

360 adoptive triad consisting of the adoptive child, adoptive parents and biological parents
The data was gathered from 33 adoptive agencies in 10 states all children were adopted within 3 months of birth.
The sample was also ethnocentric based on one culture only

Question 3

What was the procedure of the adoption study?

Answer 3

Multiple methods were used including:
Parents and children completed questionnaires on intelligence , executive functioning, tasks and literacy
A range of interviews were carried out to with biological and adoptive parents to discuss pregnancy history and substance abuse, conduct disorders and antisocial personality disorder data was also collected.
Specific interaction tasks such as the frustration task were videotaped and observed by researchers to record the child temperament and parent interactions
Buccal cells (DNA) and cortisol samples were collected for biological testing

Question 4

What were the results of Leve’s adoption study?

Answer 4

Birth mothers which demonstrated externalising aggressive behaviours- lack of self control and rule breaking genotype
And
Adoptive mothers who expressed depressive and anxious tendencies
= this triggered the adoptive children to learn the inappropriate emotional regulation and indicate externalising behaviours.

Question 5

Describe the procedure of one adoption study you have learned in biological psychology (4 marks)

Answer 5

An adoption study conducted by Leve (2010) aimed to investigate the environmental factors that can interact with genes to influence an individual’s behaviour, academia and socialisation. The sample involved 360 adoptive triads from 33 adoptive agencies in 10 states where the child had been adopted within 43 months of birth. The research conducted used a range of methods including questionnaires and interviews which were carried out with both adoptive and biological parents to establish previous history. Additionally, set tasks were carried out which were videotaped and observed by researchers such as the frustration task. Finally, DNA and cortisol samples were collected for biological testing.

Question 6

Evaluate one adoption study you have learned in biological psychology (8 marks)

Answer 6

Generalisability- Strength/ weakness
+ Results are based from a large sample including 360 adoptive triads (adoptive child, adoptive parent and biological parent) from 33 adoptive agencies across 10 states. This is representative as it is a large sample retained over time for an adoption study is rare.
However, results are difficult to generalise to other cultures. This is because it is ethnocentric (western based)

Reliability- Weakness
Lacks test-retest
Therefore, it is difficult to replicate due to the size of the sample, the amount of methods used, time taken and the participants involved.
Cannot check results are consistent with other studies

Application- Strength
Help to reduce aggression externalisation. This is because results identified that adoptive mothers who express emotion can trigger a child genotype which results in the child

Validity- Strength
Multiple methods are used to collect data- triangulation
questionnaires and interviews- to gather information on the history of pregnancy and substance use and whether individuals suffer from antisocial personality disorder or conduct disorder. This shows whether an individual is more likely to demonstrate externalising behaviours.
Frustration shifting task also indicates how the parent and child interact.
Finally, DNA and cortisol samples were taken
Therefore, multiple methods to come to an overall conclusion makes results more valid and accurate if they all conclude the same idea.

Ethics- Strength/ weakness
Ethical implications with results, the study hasn’t actually broken ethical guidelines.
Strength- Prevented contact with biological parents to prevent harm
Weakness- Socially sensitive- impact on parents passing for the passing of genes that trigger aggression externalisation and adoptive parents are responsible for the development.