Reinhard_Heini
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TRANSNACIAL ADOPTIONS
In the early part of this chapter behavior genetic evidence was presented showing substantial heritability for temperament traits. The question arises as to whether findings based on studies carried out within populations (mostly White, but also including Asian and African American; Lynn & Hattori, 1990; Osborne, 1980), generalize to differences between popula- tions. One crucial type of evidence are multiracial adoption studies. Most of these have assessed IQ, but some have examined temperament.
Studies of Korean and Vietnamese children adopted into White Ameri- can and White Belgian homes have been conducted (e.g., Clark & Hanisee, 1982). As babies, many adoptees had been hospitalized for malnutrition. Nonetheless they went on to develop IQs 10 or more points higher than their adoptive national norms. By contrast, Black and mixed-race (Black-White) children adopted into White middle-class families typi- cally perform at a lower level than similarly adopted White children. For example, in the well-known Minnesota Transracial Adoption Study, by age 17, adopted children with two White biological parents had an average IQ of 106, adopted children with one White and one Black biological parent had an average IQ of 99, and adopted children with two Black biological parents had an average IQ of 89 (Weinberg, Scarr, & Waldman, 1992). These results, showing that Black and Asian babies register neither gains (for Blacks) nor losses (for Asians) in IQ by being adopted by Whites, provide direct evidence for a genetic basis for the ethnic differences.
Less well known (and much less established) are the transracial adoption results on temperament. Two unpublished doctoral theses have been carried out. Under the direction of Dan Freedman at the University of Chicago, Brooks (1989) assessed activity level and temperament in Korean children raised by White American families. She found that the adopted children scored partway between the other two groups. In collaboration with Sandra Scarr at the University of Virginia, DeBerry (1991) analyzed the Minnesota Transracial Adoption Study. She found that fully two thirds of the interracial
(Black and mixed-race) adoptees, who took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, had higher than average scores, thereby indicating impulsivity, outgoingness, aggressiveness, rebelliousness, and hedonism. Individuals with this profile typically report difficulty in marital or family relationships and have trouble with the law or authority in general.
Extra source:
Personality and person perception across culture by Yueh-Ting Lee, Clark R. McCauley, Juris G. Draguns 2013 P59-60
In the early part of this chapter behavior genetic evidence was presented showing substantial heritability for temperament traits. The question arises as to whether findings based on studies carried out within populations (mostly White, but also including Asian and African American; Lynn & Hattori, 1990; Osborne, 1980), generalize to differences between popula- tions. One crucial type of evidence are multiracial adoption studies. Most of these have assessed IQ, but some have examined temperament.
Studies of Korean and Vietnamese children adopted into White Ameri- can and White Belgian homes have been conducted (e.g., Clark & Hanisee, 1982). As babies, many adoptees had been hospitalized for malnutrition. Nonetheless they went on to develop IQs 10 or more points higher than their adoptive national norms. By contrast, Black and mixed-race (Black-White) children adopted into White middle-class families typi- cally perform at a lower level than similarly adopted White children. For example, in the well-known Minnesota Transracial Adoption Study, by age 17, adopted children with two White biological parents had an average IQ of 106, adopted children with one White and one Black biological parent had an average IQ of 99, and adopted children with two Black biological parents had an average IQ of 89 (Weinberg, Scarr, & Waldman, 1992). These results, showing that Black and Asian babies register neither gains (for Blacks) nor losses (for Asians) in IQ by being adopted by Whites, provide direct evidence for a genetic basis for the ethnic differences.
Less well known (and much less established) are the transracial adoption results on temperament. Two unpublished doctoral theses have been carried out. Under the direction of Dan Freedman at the University of Chicago, Brooks (1989) assessed activity level and temperament in Korean children raised by White American families. She found that the adopted children scored partway between the other two groups. In collaboration with Sandra Scarr at the University of Virginia, DeBerry (1991) analyzed the Minnesota Transracial Adoption Study. She found that fully two thirds of the interracial
(Black and mixed-race) adoptees, who took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, had higher than average scores, thereby indicating impulsivity, outgoingness, aggressiveness, rebelliousness, and hedonism. Individuals with this profile typically report difficulty in marital or family relationships and have trouble with the law or authority in general.
Extra source:
Personality and person perception across culture by Yueh-Ting Lee, Clark R. McCauley, Juris G. Draguns 2013 P59-60
