Psychological Adjustment: Are adopted adolescents at greater risk for negative outcomes?

Authors

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

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