Impact of open adoption and contact with biological mothers on perceptions of parenting competence and parenting efficacy among adoptive mothers
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Angella Eanes (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: "The purpose of the current study is to examine open adoption and contact with biological mothers, as well as children's problem behavior, as predictors of perceived parenting competence and parenting efficacy among adoptive mothers of older children. Seventy-two adoptive mothers of children adopted after their 4th birthday participated in interviews in which they discussed their adoption experiences including issues of open adoption and contact with biological family members. Mothers also completed quantitative measures of children's problem behavior, perceived parenting competence, and perceived parenting efficacy. No direct relationships were found between open adoption and parenting. However, open adoption moderated the relationship between children's internalizing behavior and adoptive mothers' perceived parenting efficacy. Mothers in closed adoptions whose children exhibited higher levels of internalizing behavior reported lower levels of perceived parenting efficacy. For mothers in open adoptions, no relationship was found between children's internalizing behavior and perceived parenting efficacy. Findings indicated that Black adoptive mothers and White adoptive mothers experience contact with biological mothers differently. For Black adoptive mothers, contact with biological mothers was associated with higher levels of perceived parenting efficacy. For White adoptive mothers, contact with biological mothers was associated with lower levels of perceived parenting competence. These findings suggest that open adoption impacts adoptive mothers' perceptions of their family systems and their own parenting differently based on whether biological mothers are included in open adoption arrangements. "--Abstract from author supplied metadata.
Impact of open adoption and contact with biological mothers on perceptions of parenting competence and parenting efficacy among adoptive mothers
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Created on 5/1/2005
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2005
- Keywords
- open adoption, biological mother, children, problem behavior, parenting competence, adoption experiences,
- Subjects
- Open adoption
- Adoptive parents
- Adoption--Cross-cultural studies
- Mothers