Adoptees’ curiosity and information-seeking about birth parents in emerging adulthood

Abstract

The Adoption Communication Pathway(ACP) model was used to test the potential mediating effect of curiosity on adoption information seeking in a sample of 143 emerging adult adoptees (mean age = 25.0 years) who were adopted as infants within the United States by parents of the same race. Adoptees were interviewed about their intentions and actions taken to gather new information about their birth mothers and fathers. As expected, level of curiosity was positively associated with information seeking behavior. Moreover, level of curiosity was influenced by adoptees’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators toward information-dseeking. In fact, curiosity partially mediated the impact of internal and external barriers on information seeking about birth mothers. Curiosity fully mediated the impact of external barriers and partially mediated external facilitators on birth father information seeking. This study provides important support for the ACP, which describes context, motivation, and behavior relating to seeking new adoption-related information.

Adoptive identity and adjustment from adolescence to emerging adulthood: A person-centered approach.

“…Our interview data have also shown us that adolescents and young adults think about their adoptions very frequently, even though they do not necessarily initiate discussions about it with their parents. In fact, they often inhibit the desire to raise adoption issues with their adoptive parents or their birth parents, for fear of upsetting them (Garber, French, & Grotevant, 2015; Wrobel, Grotevant, Samek, & Von Korff, 2013). Data from this study and the earlier work of Dunbar make it clear that there are significant individual differences in adoption concern among adolescents; parents may have one child who is significantly preoccupied by adoption issues, whereas another may not be interested, at least at that point in time.…”

The Evolving Nature and Process of Foster Family Communication: An Application and Adaptation of the Family Adoption Communication Model

“…Adolescents often vary in the extent to which they are interested in their own adoption such that some exhibit high levels of curiosity while others show little interest (Brodzinsky, ). In fact, Wrobel, Grotevant, Samek, and Von Korff () discovered that both male and female adoptees were moderately curious about their adoptions, and adoptee's level of curiosity was positively associated with information‐seeking behaviors. This study further revealed the complex process by which adoptees must negotiate internal barriers (e.g., not feeling ready, not wanting to hurt someone, perceived negative response from birth parent), interior facilitators (e.g., perceived positive response from birth parent, positive perceptions of adoption agency, being personally ready), external barriers (e.g., agency policies or fees, lack of time), and external facilitators (e.g., having resources such as money and information, receiving offers of assistance from adoptive parents or others) when seeking out new information (Wrobel et al, ).…”

“…In fact, Wrobel, Grotevant, Samek, and Von Korff () discovered that both male and female adoptees were moderately curious about their adoptions, and adoptee's level of curiosity was positively associated with information‐seeking behaviors. This study further revealed the complex process by which adoptees must negotiate internal barriers (e.g., not feeling ready, not wanting to hurt someone, perceived negative response from birth parent), interior facilitators (e.g., perceived positive response from birth parent, positive perceptions of adoption agency, being personally ready), external barriers (e.g., agency policies or fees, lack of time), and external facilitators (e.g., having resources such as money and information, receiving offers of assistance from adoptive parents or others) when seeking out new information (Wrobel et al, ). The culmination of these studies indicates that adoptee information seeking is a dynamic process that takes place over several life stages, and open communication about adoption in the adoptive family tends to support adoptee information‐seeking behaviors (see Farr et al, ; Skinner‐Drawz, Wrobel, Grotevant, & Von Korff, ).…”

Parenting concepts and experiences of adults abandoned as infants

“…Level of curiosity was also found to be positively associated with informationseeking behaviour regarding birth parents in adult adoptees (Wrobel et al, 2013). In particular, the reason for being adopted and medical histories of biological relatives are of a great concern.…”

“…not feeling ready) increased curiosity but decreased informationseeking when adoptees searched for their birth mother whereas external barriers (e.g. agency policies) increased curiosity which in-turn increased information-seeking for birth fathers (Wrobel et al, 2013).…”