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Home / Schedule / Symposium: Curiosity and search about origins or birth parents by domestic and international adoptees
WED July 11, 2018 WED July 11, 2018
10:30 am 10:30 am
International I International I

Gretchen Wrobel

Professor of Psychology, Bethel University

Michel Duyme

Emeritus Professor, CNRS, University of Montpellier

Françoise Perriard

Research Associate, Institut Universitaire de Recherche Clinique, University of Montpellier

Jacques Vaugelade

Senior Research Fellow, Enfance et Familles d'Adoption

Julia Feast

Independent Consultant, Feast Consultancy

Jacques Vaugelade

Senior Research Fellow, Enfance et Familles d'Adoption

Michel Duyme

Emeritus Professor, CNRS, University of Montpellier

Janice Peyré

Research Associate, Enfance et Familles d'Adoption, CNRS

Farid El Massioui

Professor, UFR of psychology, University of Paris 8

Symposium: Curiosity and search about origins or birth parents by domestic and international adoptees

The Adoption Curiosity Pathway: A Process Model for Understanding Adoption-Related Information Seeking

Purpose: Traditionally, curiosity about one’s adoption has been interpreted as leading to a search for possible reunion with birth parents. While search and reunion with birth parents is an important process for some adopted persons, others may already have contact with birth parents and have different adoption-related information needs. As adoption practice has incorporated contact with birth parents in placement plans, the need arose for a theoretical approach that encompasses the complexity of various adoption types and desires of adopted persons. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the Adoption Curiosity Pathway (ACP) and subsequent research that supports its description of curiosity and information seeking.

The ACP provides an avenue for understanding differing levels of curiosity and adoption-related information needs among adoptees with varying forms of contact with birth parents. The ACP is a process model that addresses the expression of adoption-related curiosity and subsequent decisions to seek out specific adoption information. There are three steps on the ACP towards information seeking: (1) identifying an adoption information gap, (2) determining the intensity of adoption-related curiosity, and (3) seeking out the desired information. Curiosity is viewed as the motivation to engage in information seeking behavior. Barriers and facilitators to obtaining that information contribute to the context within which curiosity and information seeking reside.

Method: The ACP which was formulated within the context of the Minnesota-Texas Adoption Research Project (MTARP), a longitudinal study of domestic infant adoption. The research presented will include findings from Wave 2 (adolescence) and Wave 3 (emerging adulthood).

Findings: A synthesis of research from MTARP supporting each aspect of the model will be presented. This will include: 1) the development and content of the adoption-related information gap. For those who are curious, what are they curious about? At adolescence the top request was reasons for placement, at emerging adulthood it was medical information; 2) determining the intensity of adoption-related curiosity. Why are some persons very curious about their adoptions, other less so and some not at all? Those expressing greater satisfaction with their adoptions were less likely to have an adoption-related information gap; 3) deciding to seek out desired adoption-related information or not. What are the barriers and facilitators to taking action to find desired information? Those with greater curiosity and more identified facilitators such as offers of assistance or perceived resources, were more likely to seek out information.
Implications: For adoption professionals and counselors, the ACP provides a framework of understanding the complex context in which information seeking decisions are made. It is important to consider barriers and facilitators to information seeking as they differ among adopted individuals.

Impact of reunion between adoptees and birth parents on adoptees, their birth and adoptive parents: a study of their quality of life and emotional balance

Objective
In France, the National Council for Access to Personal Origins (CNAOP), created in 2002, helps adoptees to find and meet their birth parents (mothers who gave birth anonymously). The aim of this study was to measure the impact of reunion on the emotional balance and quality of life of adoptees, their birth and adoptive parents.

Method
The survey took place in 2013-14, several years after reunion. Participants completed questionnaires on their life before and after reunion: quality of life (MOS SF-36), satisfaction with life (Diener) and Positive And Negative Affect Scales (Watson). The sample was of 255 adoptees (55 of whom completed a shorter questionnaire), 110 birth parents (64 of whom completed a shortened questionnaire), 53 adoptive parents (9 of whom completed a shortened questionnaire).

Results
61% of searchers were women (65% of all respondents), aged from 20 to 70 years (average: 42). For adoptees and birth parents, the results show that overall reunion had a clear positive impact on their satisfaction with life, their emotional balance and their quality of life (statistically significant, p<.05). Adoptees’ satisfaction with life (satisfied or very satisfied 32% for the overall French population) rose from 42% to 61% after reunion. Positive changes in emotional balance affected increased sense of pride, and lower levels of anger, sadness and guilt. For birth parents (96% of whom were mothers), satisfaction with life rose from 15% to 41%. All the positive affects increased, especially affection and joy. All the negative affects decreased, except guilt (which showed no significant change). For 69% of adoptees, contact was maintained after reunion. Adoptive parents’ satisfaction with life and emotional balance increased after reunion.

Conclusion
Increased wellbeing of adoptees and birth parents is clearly demonstrated. The results show that those who sought or accepted contact experienced a surplus of happiness. Some questions remain unanswered, however, and cannot be explained by this study: what about those who did not participate? What about those who were unable to meet their birth parents? Therefore, caution needs to be applied when generalising these results to all adoptees and birth parents.

Outcome of reunion between adult adopted people and their birth mothers in Britain

Objective
The principal aim of the research (2005) was to provide a comprehensive overview of the experiences and impact of the adoption, search and reunion process and outcome on all 3 members, birth mothers, adopted people and adoptive parents, of the same adoption triad using sizeable samples.

Method
The sample was of 93 birth mothers, 126 adopted people and 93 adoptive parents.
One questionnaire was devised for each group covering issues and areas highlighted by practitioners and previous research.

Results
Birth mothers: When birth mothers were asked about all the effects on them of the parting over the years, the sense of loss and sadness was high (90%) followed by guilt (79%), only 8% had no negative effects. During the years between the adoption and the renewed contact 98% reported thinking about their child. The most common were thoughts about whether their child was happy, followed by whether the adoption had been successful. On hearing that their child was seeking them, birth mothers reacted with a feeling ranging from excitement to happiness (76%). 2/3rds had contact with the adopted person for over five years.

Adopted people: Almost 1/2 of the adopted people had felt a sense of loss or rejection at some point in their lives through being adopted. The findings suggested that having a close relationship with, and feeling loved by their adoptive parents helped to diminish the feelings of rejection and loss felt by the adopted person.
85% of adopted people reported that the contact and reunion experience was positive for them. They reported many personal benefits including mental wellbeing, closeness, sense of identity, and an endless list of positive things. 50% of those adopted people, who had felt rejected by being placed for adoption, reported that the feelings of rejection disappeared after contact. 68% said the same about feelings of loss.

Adoptive parents: Most adopters were certain of the strength of their relationship with their son or daughter. Nevertheless, when it came to actual face-to-face meetings, some could not avoid wondering whether they might in the end be rejected. Most of the fears, either about themselves or of the adopted person being hurt, did not materialize. The reported levels of closeness between them and the adopted person before and after contact and reunion with the birth family hardly changed. 90% described very close or close relationships both before and after contact.

Conclusion
The study found that the great majority of all parties reported the experience of contact and reunion to be positive and satisfying. Adopted people, birth parents, and adoptive parents were mindful not to hurt one another, were ready to acknowledge and respect the importance of each person in the triangle.
The study showed that the contact and reunion stood the test of time: over an average of 8 years: 70% were still in face-to-face contact and 86% in indirect contact. Study funded by the Nuffield Foundation.

Information-seeking, tracing and contact about origins or birth parents: the experience of domestic and international adoptees living in France

Purpose
Adoption-related curiosity, tracing and contact are recurrently discussed topics in meetings of adoptee associations. Are all adoptees concerned? Do their adoptive parents support them? When tracing and contact are successful, what impact does this have on their wellbeing?

Method
A national survey sponsored by the Regional Authority of Île-de-France was carried out by the association Enfance & Familles d’Adoption in 2013-15: 506 adoptees aged 15-30 answered, either they were contacted via their parents, who were also participants, or they answered spontaneously. The study compared adoptees and children born in the same families, and includes a wide range of socio-demographic, cognitive and behavioural data. A synopsis of the findings is available in English and French on the website of the association. This analysis focuses exclusively on the adoptees’ replies. The dependent variables are the number of information-seeking: initiatives tracing, accessing one’s personal records, travelling to the birth country, visiting the institution, meeting the birth family; and the evolution of the adoptees’ wellbeing. The independent variables are: age and gender of adoptees, parental support evaluated by the adoptees’ replies to two questions: did they talk about their initiatives to their parents, were their parents supportive?

Findings
A majority of respondents were female (62%). All adoptee profiles were represented: race, domestic and international adoption (from all the different continents). Curiosity-related initiatives increase as adopted people get older, however by the age of 25-30, 17% females had taken no initiative, against 38% males. Adoption-related curiosity is not linked to behavioural or emotional disorders. The positive impact (feeling happy or peaceful) increases from 13% for one information-seeking initiative to 63% for at least four initiatives and 61% for those who have met members of their birth family. The negative impact (feeling sad or angry) is infrequent (6%), even after meeting members of the birth family.
In the absence of parental support, 37% of adoptees took no information-seeking initiative against 22% of those who felt supported (p<.001), and fewer of them met their birth family (9% vs. 17%, p<.02). Adoptees supported by their parents were twice as numerous to report a positive impact (34% vs. 17%, p<.001).

Implications
Not all adoptees undertake information-seeking initiatives. For those who do, one notes a positive impact on their wellbeing, and reunion with the birth mother is especially positive.  Adoptive parental support encourages adoptees to undertake such initiatives and contributes to their wellbeing. Adoption professionals and counsellors need to prepare adoptive parents not to fear adoptees’ information-seeking initiatives and to be supportive when the child is willing.

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