TY - JOUR
T1 - Adopted adolescents' preoccupation with adoption
T2 - The impact on adoptive family relationships
AU - Kohler, Julie K.
AU - Grotevant, Harold D.
AU - McRoy, Ruth G.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - This study examines the relationship between the intensity of adopted adolescents' thinking about their adoptions and their adoptive family relationships. Participants included 135 adopted adolescents involved in an ongoing study of openness in adoption. Adolescents who reported high levels of preoccupation with adoption reported greater alienation from their adoptive fathers than did adolescents who reported moderate or low levels of preoccupation. Adolescents with extremely high levels of preoccupation reported significantly higher levels of alienation and significantly lower levels of trust for their adoptive mothers and fathers than adolescents with extremely low levels of preoccupation. These findings, along with the divergences between adolescents' perceptions of dyadic and overall family relationships, are discussed in terms of how they relate to the process of adoptive identity exploration.
AB - This study examines the relationship between the intensity of adopted adolescents' thinking about their adoptions and their adoptive family relationships. Participants included 135 adopted adolescents involved in an ongoing study of openness in adoption. Adolescents who reported high levels of preoccupation with adoption reported greater alienation from their adoptive fathers than did adolescents who reported moderate or low levels of preoccupation. Adolescents with extremely high levels of preoccupation reported significantly higher levels of alienation and significantly lower levels of trust for their adoptive mothers and fathers than adolescents with extremely low levels of preoccupation. These findings, along with the divergences between adolescents' perceptions of dyadic and overall family relationships, are discussed in terms of how they relate to the process of adoptive identity exploration.
KW - Adoption
KW - Family relationships
KW - Identity development
KW - Parent-adolescent relationships
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2002.00093.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2002.00093.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036337466
SN - 0022-2445
VL - 64
SP - 93
EP - 104
JO - Journal of Marriage and Family
JF - Journal of Marriage and Family
IS - 1
ER -