Heredity and Environment in 300 Adoptive Families: The Texas Adoption Project

by Horn,Joseph

• ISBN13: 9780202363455
• ISBN10: 0202363457
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-03-15
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book presents the results of a thirty-five-year researchproject involving 300 families, each of whom adoptedat least one child at birth from a Texas home for unwedmothers during the period of 1962-1970. The book weavestogether information about the birth parents of the adoptedchildren; information about the adoptive parents;and information about the children in these families.Children adopted at birth have two sets of parents.Birth parents provide their adopted-away child with agenetic endowment, but do not participate in shaping thechild’s environment. Adoptive parents do not contributegenetically, but are otherwise in charge of directing thechild’s development. If adopted children grow up toresemble birth parents they have never seen, the clearinference is that hereditary factors have had an influence.Environmental factors are implicated whenever childrenresemble their adoptive parents, but not the birth parents.The Texas Adoption Project was designed to investigatethe impact of genetic and environmental factors.This unique and innovative longitudinal study iswritten for specialists and the educated public. An introductoryguide is provided for the non-specialist readerexplaining the form and statistical content of the tables.Additional technical material for specialists is contained inappendices. This important contribution to the literatureon adoption will also be of interest to those interested inthe relative weight of genetics and environment in humandevelopment.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
A Brief History and Overview of the Project	p. 1
Why Carry Out (or Read about) an Adoption Study?
Previous Adoption Studies
The Texas Adoption Project-Beginnings
Some Characteristics of the Sample
Studies in the Texas Adoption Project-Chronological Sequence
Summary and Look Ahead
Intellectual Abilities in the Texas Adoption Project	p. 19
About the Presentation of Results in this Book
Intelligence and Intelligence Tests
Evidence about Heredity and Environment from Comparisons of Means
Evidence about Heredity and Environment from Family Correlations
More Specialized Aspects of Intelligence
Personality in the Texas Adoption Project	p. 59
Personality Measures Used in the TAP
The Rating Composites
The Cattell Scales
The CPI and the TTS in the Separate Mail Study
The MMPI
Personality Change
Achievement, Adjustment, Outcomes	p. 95
Academic Achievement
Psychopathology and Problem Behavior
Occupation
Personal Relationships
Maturity and Happiness
Factors Related to Outcomes
Summary and Conclusions	p. 141
The Story so Far
What We Learned in the TAP
Four Families
Some Limitations of Adoption Studies
Some Implications of the Texas Adoption Project
Final Comments
Appendices	p. 167
Initial Letter to Families	p. 167
Rating Scales	p. 169
IQ Test Details	p. 177
Details on Self-Ratings	p. 183
Modeling of Selection	p. 185
Glossary	p. 193
References	p. 197
Index	p. 203
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