Adoptive Parents and Their Children: Does Sexual Orientation Matter? Charlotte J. Patterson...

Adoptive Parents and Their Children:Does Sexual Orientation Matter?

Charlotte J. PattersonDepartment of Psychology

Studies in Women & Gender ProgramUniversity of Virginia

2nd European Conference on LGBT FamiliesApril 2012

Overview• Lesbian/gay adoption

– Many children need homes– Many lesbian/gay adults want to adopt– Should sexual orientation of prospective parents enter into placement decisions?– Little research

• What is life like for children and parents in lesbian/gay parent adoptive families?

• Lesbian, gay and heterosexual couples • Each with an adopted child, 1 - 5 years old• Systematic sampling frame

– 5 adoption agencies– Families living in 12 states in USA

• Information from multiple sources

Adoptive Families StudyRachel H. Farr, Stephen L. Forssell & Charlotte J. Patterson

University of Virginia

Farr, R. H., Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.

• 106 Families 56 same-sex couples (27 lesbian, 29 gay)

50 heterosexual couples

• Domestic adoptions• Couples are all legally recognized parents• Groups well matched

Adoptive Families Study: Sample


• Parents– 81% white– 42 years old– Most work full time– Well educated– High incomes

• Children– 42% white– 3 years old– Adopted at birth

Adoptive Families Study: Sample

Adoptive Families Study: Topics

• More common among same-sex couples– 54% of lesbian/gay couples – 30% of heterosexual couples

• Both types of families are otherwise demographically similar

• Both transracial and same-race adoptees show positive adjustment

Transracial Adoption

Farr & Patterson (2009). Transracial adoption by lesbian, gay, and heterosexual couples…Adoption Quarterly, 12, 187 – 204.

Parent Adjustment- Parent discipline techniques

- Arnold, O’Leary, Wolff & Acker, 1993- Standardized parent report scale- Parenting Scale


Ave

rag

e D

isci

plin

e S

core

Dysfunctional

Functional

N = 212 parents

Parent Discipline Techniques

Ave

rag

e D

isci

plin

e S

core

Dysfunctional

Functional

N = 212 parents

Parents in all three types of families report using positive discipline techniques.

Parent Discipline Techniques

Parental adjustment- Parent discipline techniques- Parenting stress

- Abidin, 1990- Standardized parent report- Parenting Stress Index


Parenting StressTo

tal S

tre

ss S

core

N = 212 Parents

Low stress

High stress

Parenting StressTo

tal S

tre

ss S

core

N = 212 Parents

Low stress

High stress

Parents in all three types of families report relatively low parenting stress.

• Parent adjustment• Child development

- Child Behavior ProblemsAchenbach & Rescorla, 2000Parent report: Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Teacher report: Teacher Report Form (TRF)



Child Behavior ProblemsT score

N = 106 children

None

Many

Farr, R. H.,Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.

Child Behavior ProblemsT score

N = 106 children

None

Many

Children of lesbian/gay parents have no more behavior problems than othersFarr, R. H., Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.

• Child development- Child behavior problems- Gender role behavior

- Golombok & Rust, 1993- Standardized parent report- Preschoolers Activities Inventory (PSAI)


Farr, R. H.,Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.

Age-adjusted score

N = 106 children

Gender Role Behavior


Age-adjusted score

N = 106 children

Gender role behavior was similar among children in all three family groups

Gender Role Behavior

Farr, R. H.l, Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter? Applied Developmental Science, 14, 164 - 178.

Parental adjustmentChild developmentCouple adjustment

- Relationship satisfactionSpanier Dyadic Adjustment ScaleSelf-report by couples


Couples’ Overall Relationship QualityTo

tal S

atisf

actio

n

N = 106 CouplesVery satisfied

All couple types report strong relationship satisfaction.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

SpanierPopulation

Mean(Enduring)

Gay Couples LesbianCouples

HeterosexualCouples

SpanierPopulation

Mean(Dissolved)

Parental adjustmentChild developmentCouple adjustment

- Relationship satisfaction- Division of labor

- Cowan & Cowan, Who Does What?- Couples report on their division of labor- Focus here on childcare


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Gay Fathers Lesbian Mothers Heterosexual Parents

Parent A

Parent B

*

Couples’ Division of Labor - Childcare

A = MomB = Dad

Aver

age

Child

care

Lab

or

“I do it ALL”

“My partner does it ALL”

N = 106 Couples

Same-sex couples share, but other-sex couples show specialized pattern.

Adoption Study: Interim Summary• Gay/lesbian/heterosexual parents and their

adoptive children similar in many ways• One important difference: Division of labor

– Division of labor studied via parental reports– What do the findings mean?– Role of observational data

• Observational data collected here– Blanket and standard sets of toys– Two parents play with their child– Video records

Couples’ Participation in Parent/Child Interactions

Lesbian/gay couples participated equally, but heterosexual couples did not.

Lesbian Gay Heterosexual1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

Parent AParent B

.

Par

ticip

atio

n

*

What Did Observational Data Reveal?

• Results confirm self-reports about division of labor– Lesbian & gay couples participate equally – they “shared”– Heterosexual couples did not – they “specialized”– Heterosexual mothers are more involved than fathers


• Results confirm self-reports about division of labor– Lesbian & gay couples participate equally – they “shared”– Heterosexual couples did not – they “specialized”– Heterosexual mothers are more involved than fathers

• Equality of participation not related to child adjustment


• Results confirm self-reports about division of labor• Equality of participation not related to child

adjustment• Some aspects of family interactions were related to

child adjustment– Well adjusted children had involved parents who did not compete– True for all family types

To summarize:

At this age, children don’t care if parents share or specialize; but they flourish best when there is harmony

• Lesbian and gay couples’ parenting styles differ from those of heterosexual couples, but the differences do not affect child development

• Parental sexual orientation irrelevant to overall adjustment of adopted children

• However, many differences among adoptive families emerge in observed interactions, and these are related to children’s behavior

• We are beginning to explore and even understand the meaning of individual differences among these families

• However, much work remains

Adoptive Families Study: Conclusions

• Participating agencies and families• Rachel H. Farr, Ph.D., & Stephen L. Forssell, Ph.D.,

Co-Investigators on Adoptive Families Study• Support from Lesbian Health Fund and from the Williams Institute,

UCLA School of Law

Research Assistants at UVA: • Jacqueline Wheeler• Kathleen Doss• Brittany Sheen• Katherine Jetton• Dylan Comstock• Tim Tuan

Thank you:

Research Assistants at GWU:• Janine Beha• Claudia Amendola• Charlotte Blutstein• Thomas Lotito• Mike Kohn• Scott Kraiterman• Carly Roberts• Lindsay Walter-Cox

Contact Information

Charlotte J. PattersonDepartment of Psychology

P. O. Box 400400University of Virginia

Charlottesville VA 22904USA

(434) [email protected]

http://people.virginia.edu/~cjp/

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