Bias against genetic hypotheses in adoption studies

A psychiatric follow-up study of adoptees

This is a five year follow-up study of adopted children and adolescents. Thirty-five adoptees and 23 control subjects were assessed. Five years earlier, the initial sample consisted of 57 pairs of adoptees and controls. The study showed that both adopted and control subjects were improved at the follow-up assessment and that there were no significant differences in clinical diagnoses and social adaptation between the groups. Compared with the controls, the adoptees were scored higher on a behaviour scale (Revised Behavior Problem Checklist) by parents. Adoption by the sixth month of age was associated with better overall psychosocial functioning. Significantly more adoptees were not living with their adoptive families. Factors associated with outcome are discussed.

An adoption and a cross-fostering study of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Psychopathic Deviate Scale

The first of two complementary studies compared biological and adoptive parents of teenage adoptees with either higher (n = 21) or low (n = 51) MMPI Psychopathic Deviate (Pd) scale scores. In comparison to biological mothers of the low-Pd adoptees, biological mothers of the high-Pd adoptees obtained significantly higher MMPI scores on six of eight clinical scales. Fewer differences existed between the corresponding groups of adoptive mothers, but adoptive mothers of the high Pd's did obtain significantly higher scores on the Pd and Hypomania scales. Substantial genetic correspondences also existed for Harris-Lingoes content subscales, with fewer correspondences between adoptees and their adoptive mothers. There were indications that adoptive mothers of the high-Pd children had personality traits which may have made them less effective in attenuating early signs of antisocial behavior. The second study employed a cross-fostering design dividing all biological and adoptive mothers (n = 138 each) by their respective median Pd raw scores to examine effects on offspring. Results confirmed the effect of biological mother Pd score, but only a trend suggested an adoptive mother effect, with no hint of an interaction.

Genetic and biochemical factors relevant to alcoholism

Important biochemical clues from animal and human studies as well as epidemiologic studies of twins and adoptees suggest that genetic factors may predispose to alcohol addiction. This paper critically examines the epidemiology and biochemistry literature to assess the strength of the evidence supporting a genetic element in alcohol addiction. Then, a biochemical hypothesis is presented that involves the identification of specific metabolic pathways, pathway controls, and metabolites that may be unique to alcoholics, and which has been tested by experiment.

Psychological Factors Differentiating Unwed Mothers Keeping Their Babies from Those Placing Them for Adoption

The study focused on possible psychological variables which could differentiate unwed mothers keeping their babies from those placing them for adoption when certain pragmatic, sociological variables were kept constant. These psychological variables were derived from a model constructed on the basis of psychoanalytic writing on the genesis of unwed pregnancy. Three hypotheses generated from this model were tested, viz. that unwed mothers who kept their babies would have poorer feminine identification; greater hostility toward their own mothers; and greater object needs than unwed mothers who released their babies for adoption. The Thematic Apperception Test was used to investigate these hypotheses. The experimental group consisted of 15 unwed mothers who had decided to keep their babies. These were compared with a control group of 12 unwed mothers who had decided to place their babies for adoption. The experimental and control groups were matched on a number of sociological variables. The results supported the above hypotheses. The applicability of these results were discussed.