Relational Uncertainty: Do parents' perceptions of their adopted children’s academic success change over time?

• In Event: Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

The current study focuses on the impact of adoption on indices of academic success. Previous investigations have suggested that adopted children perform less well academically in both reading and math (Beckett, 2007). Yet, this result—children who are adopted having poorer academic performance—is not consistent across the literature (Bramlett et al., 2011). This may be due to the perception that younger children are academically more successful. However, this interpretation does not account for the period in which adoptees and their new families adjust to one another. A period we refer to as relational uncertainty. The present study includes participants from the National Survey of Adopted Parents (NSAP, 2007). This included 1,647 (757 male) children from adopted families ranging from 3 - 6 years old. To examine this issue, we investigated indices of parental perception of the academic performance of adopted children using a difference score, which captured the number of years between the child’s current age and the age at which the child was placed in their adoptive home. As hypothesized, we found a positive significant effect of relational uncertainty on both reading (β = .09, SE = .02, z = 5.16, p < .0001) and math (β = .07, SE = .02, z = 3.85, p < .001). This indicates the longer the child is with their adopted family the more likely the family is to perceive the adopted child as academically successful. After providing evidence for this period of relational uncertainty, we investigated the impact of factors previously found to be associated with the academic performance of adoptees. These factors included sex (IJzendorn et al., 2005), the type of adoption (Dalen & Theie, 2019), country of adoption (Dalen & Theie, 2019), the first language of the child (Croft et al., 2007; Dalen, 1995; Scott, Roberts, & Glenn, 2011), where the child lived before adoption (Raleigh & Kao, 2012; Van IJzendoorn, Jeffer, & Poelhuis, 2005), presence of other children in their adopted home (Helder, Mulder, and Gunnoe, 2016; Van IJzendoorn, Jeffer, & Poelhuis 2005), and the socioeconomic status of their adopted home (Bramlett, 2011; Glennen et al 2014). Hierarchical regressions resulted in three factors predicting both reading and math: sex of the adopted child, type of adoption, and poverty. Specifically, female children who are adopted are likely to be perceived as academically more successful, even after taking into account relational uncertainty. Children who are adopted internationally are perceived to be less academically successful than those who are adopted from foster care or through private adoption. Finally, it was found that children who are adopted into higher-income families are perceived to be more academically successful. These findings provide support for how these specific aspects of adoption differentially affect adopted children’s perceived academic success, after taking into account the impact of this period of relational uncertainty. By considering this period of relational uncertainty our results indicate the need for a paradigm shift in how we view the frequently reported factors that impact the perception of adopted children’s academic performance.

Authors

• Tamara Turski, University of Delaware
  Presenting Author

• Stephanie Del Tufo, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author