Psychological Adjustment: Are Adopted Adolescents at Greater Risk for Negative Outcomes?

Caroline Tozzi Reppold, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre
Aida Hutz, Boise State University
Claudio Simon Hutz, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

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This document was originally published by International Center for Interpersonal Relationship Research in Interpersona. Restrictions may apply.

Abstract

During the last decades several authors have indicated that being an adopted child resulted in a higher risk of psychological maladjustment. The objective of this research was to investigate the changes in perception of parental styles in adopted and no-adopted adolescents Brazilians. The sample comprised 524 adolescents (68 were adopted and 456 were raised by their biological parents). The instruments used were a demographic questionnaire and the Responsiveness Scales and Parental Demands. The findings indicated that adoptive parents are significantly more indulgent than biological parents. In comparison, the adolescents described their biological parents as more negligent. The findings corroborated the transcultural effects of parental styles on the psychological adjustment and confirmed the hypothesis that the parental socialization strategies moderate the development of adopted adolescent.