ADOPTION INSTITUTE: ADOPTION SCHOLARS' TRAVEL GRANT

ATTACHMENT AND
SEPERATION-INDIVIDUATION
IN ADOPTEES

Michael F. McGinn

Pace University

(Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute)

OUTLINE

Introduction

Description of Presentation

Comments on adoption

Child development and PAS: "Potential Adoption Snags"

"Stage" theorists: Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson

"Object Relations" theorists: John Bowlby, Mary Salter-Ainsworth, Margaret Mahler, Anna Freud, Fred Pine

**Attachment, Separation-Individuation, Separation and loss**

Policy and practice considerations: Applications of attachment and separation-individuation wisdom to adoption policies and practice.

Outline of my study, Attachment and Psychological Seperation in Adopted and non-Adopted Adolescents.

Questions, answers, comments and applause.

To a child, adoption is about being with the family they are in.
Pavao All Triad members receive something from adoption, but they also lose something.

Russell

Adoption is a second choice for all triad members. People do not expect to grow up, get married, and adopt a child… people do not expect to grow up get pregnant, and give their child to strangers to raise

Russell

Adoptive families have some different realities from biological families, which must be acknowledged, understood, and dealt with.

Verrier

There is little that con not be remedied later, and there is much that can be prevented from happening at all

Erikson

Sigmund Freud:

Psychosexual Development

5 Stages:

ORAL (0-1 years)

ANAL (1-3 years)

PHALLIC (3-5 years)

LATENCY (5-12 years)

GENITAL (13-adult)

Jean Piaget:

Cognitive Development

4 Stages:

Sensorimotor (0-2 years)

Preoperational (2-7 years)

Concrete Operations

(7-11 years)

Formal Operations

(11-adult)

After emerging from the comfort of the uterus, the parents’ ability to regularly meet the (infant’s) needs leads to the development of TRUST and the expectancy of needs being met. Erikson The achievement of TRUST, through the consistency of care, leads to the infant’s"social achievement", which is to allow the mother to separate from him without anguish.
Erikson ************************************************

The most salient psychosocial task confronting the infant is he development of TRUST. In adoptive families, (this)… is complicated by several factors.

Brodzinsky

The confusion of who is the mother undermines the basic TRUST in the permanence of the relationship to he nurturing parent… adoptees have difficulty trusting her or others who come to represent her.

Weider

The Loss of the mother disallows the achievement of basic TRUST…

Verrier

Erik Erikson:

Psychosocial Development

8 Stages:

Trust v. Mistrust (0-1_ yrs.)

Autonomy v. (1_-3 yrs)

Shame & Doubt

Initiative v. Guilt (3-5_ yrs.)

Industry v. Inferiority (5_-12yrs.)

Identity v. Role Confusion (Adolescence)

Intimacy v. Isolation (Young Adult)

Generativity v. Stagnation (Adulthood)

Ego Integrity v. Despair (Maturity)

(adoptees feel) a sense of genealogical bewilderment… the resulting state of confusion and uncertainty… fundamentally undermines his security and thus his mental health.

Sants

The adoptee’s history begins with the adoptee.

Russell

Identity confusion during adolescence is predictably exaggerated for adoptees, partly because of the prior interference with attachment that undermines the child’s own sense of identity and partly because of he continued presence in fantasy, and potentially in real life, of a second set of parents.

Steinhauser & Rae

Adopted adolescents are often at a disadvantage in their struggle to develop a secur identity… for the adoptee this task.. is often complicated by a lack of information regarding the birth parents and the reasons underlying the original relinquishment, as well as feelings of disloyalty to adoptive parents.

Brodzinsky

My own birth certificate lies about who I am! Alk about identity issues!

Anonymous (Russell)

CYCLE OF NEED

CHILD’S NEED

EXPRESSION OF NEED

POSITIVE RESPONSE TO NEED

SATISFACTION OF NEED

RELAXATION RESONSE

RESULT => Trust, Security, Attachment

POSITIVE INTERACTION CYCLE

Parents initiates positive interactions
with the child ->

Child responds positively

***************************************

RESULTS =>

Self-esteem, self-worth

ATTACHEMENT

…an affectional bond between 2 people that endures through space and time ad serves to join them emotionally… Attachement behavior serves the primary purpose of providing safety and protection for the young, the old, and others who are less capable of meeting their own needs.

Fahlberg

Any form of behavior that results in a person attaining proximity to some other clearly identified individual who is conceived as better able to cope with the word.

Bowlby

Attachment… is a reciprocal process between a parent and child… It is the development of mutual feeling that the other is irreplaceable.

Molina

BONDING

Bonding… is the parents’ instinctive desire to protect the infant.

Molina

Bonding refers to he feelings parents have for their children, and attachment to the feelings children have for their parents.

Robertson

The Strange Situation

SECURELY ATTACHED

66%

INSECURITY ATTACHED- AVOIDANT

20%

INSECURELY ATTACHED - AMBIVALENT

12%

It is through the relationship with the primary caregiver in the 1^st year of life that the child learns to learn.

Fahlberg

Familial security in the early stages is of a dependent type and forms a basis from which the individual can work out gradually… Where familial security is lacking… the individual is handicapped by a lack of what might be called a secure base from which to work.

Ainsworth

Working models tend to persist throughout development and dictate to a large extent how an individual anticipates and construes self and others in interpersonal relationships.

Bowlby

Those infants whose emotional needs have not been consistently met respond to the world either shrinking from it or doing battle with it.

Bowlby

Attachment behavior is said to characterize human being from the cradle to the grave.

Bowlby

Many adoptees find it difficult to attach or allow closeness in relationships because of the fear that each new relationship, like the very first, will not last.

Verrier

We were uprooted; our roots are delicate because they’ve one (or twice or more) been torn.

Pavao

Provided there is 1 particular mother-figure to whom he can relate and who mothers him lovingly, he will take to her and treat her almost as though she were his mother.

Bowlby

…the most important element in developing healthy attachment is neither blood ties nor the gender of the caretaker, but the nature of the relationship of this person to the child.

Bayless

Attachment is a continuum, with securely attached children at one end, completely unattached children at he other, and the vast majority somewhere in between.

Molina

WE DON’T NEED TO BE IN A HURRY

TO FORM AN ATTACHMENT.

WE SHOULD

ENJOY THE PROCESS.

Molina

Mahler’s Separation-Individuation

Autistic Phase Birth-4 week

Symbiotic Phase 4 weeks - 5 months

(Separation-Individuation proper)

Differentiation 5 - 10 months

Practicing 13 - 16 months

Rapprochment 16 - 24 months

Object Constancy 24 - 36 months

The biological birth of the human infant andhe psychological birth of the individual are not the same thing. The former is a dramatic, observable, well-circumscribed event; the latter is a slowly unfolding intrapsychic process.

Mahler, Pine, Berman

We refer to the psychology birth of the individual as the Separation-Individual proccess.

Seperation consists ofthe child’s emergence from a symbiotic fusion with the mother.

Individation consists o those achievements marking the child’s assumption of his own individual characteristics.

Mahler

If a child is separated from her before gaining a sense of self separation from her, her may feel incomplete.

Verrier

Like all intrapsychic processes, this one reverbares throughout the life cycle. It is never finished… new phases of the life cycle see new derivatives of the earlier process.

Mahler

…the original attachment… and the appropriate separation from the mother at he proper time… prepares one for the many attachments and seperations ove and over throughout one’s life cycle.

Verrier

In order for him to become a person with his own unique selfhood… he undergoes the SI Process of the 1^st 3 years of life. In a similar way, the adolescent’s 2^nd psychological birth expands the child’s emotional and intellectual reach.

Kaplan

…after the years of childhood comes the prolonged and in many ways painful adolescent struggle to attain a separate identity.

Goldstein, A. Freud, Solnit

What happens in one’s early life, between birth and age 3, gets reworked in adolescence.

Pavao

The primary psychological task of adolescence echoes the task of years 1-5. The young person must one again psychologically separate, this time from the family, finding his place in society as a whole, rather than solely as a member of a family.

Fahlberg

The intrapsychic separation of the adopted adolescent from his adoptive parents brings to the surface many old conflicts and anxieties.

Brinich

There is a time to separate from our mother. But unless we are ready to leave her and be left, anything is better than separation.

Viorst

Successful accomplishment of S-I appears to be affected by a number of factors… Adolescents from non-traditional families may have more barriers to overcome to therapeutically complete this task.

Daniels

Separating seems to be an even greater problem that attaching. Once a relationship is established, many adoptees do not want to separate, even when the relationship proves unsatisfactory.

Verrier

During adolescence, divided loyalty is a recurring theme for adopted children.

Pavao

…if an adopted adolescent has issues about loss then the loss of her former self, her child self, is painful in a way hat is not for other adolescents.

Pavao

The most healthy adoptive families are those in which there is an acknowledgement of difference.

Kirk

The best gift we can give a child is the truth and he tools to deal with it.

Pavao

ADOPTIVE FAMILIES

HAVE SOME DIFFERENT

REALITIES FROM

BIOLOGICAL FAMILIES

WHICH MUST BE

ACKNOWLEDGED,

UNDERSTOOD

AND DEALT WITH.

Verrier

Research Study Information

I am conducting a research study to complete my Doctor of Child Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) degree at Pace University in New York City. I completed my Master of Science in Education degree at the same university. I currently work with children and adolescents as a School Psychologist in Westchester County, New York

The study compares the type and quality of interpersonal relationships of adopted and non-adopted adolescents. The experience and knowledge of adoption may, or may not, affect the type and quality of relationships teen develop. It is hoped that this research will help adoptive parents, children and teens, and professionals working with them, to better understand the intricacies of child and adolescent development. As an adoptee myself, this research is of personal as well as professional interest to me.

The study will proceed as follows:

Participants will be adopted and non-adopted (ie, reared by biological parents) teens, age 13-18, inclusive. Participants will be mailed 2 questionnaires which should take 20-30 minutes to complete. One is The Inventory of Parent-Peer Attachment, developed by Armsden and Greenburg (1984); the second is The Psychological Separation Inventory, developed in 1984 by Hoffman. These are well-established multi-choice research instruments which ask about relationships with peers and parents. Forms will be numerically coded so the participant’s identity will be impossible to determine. A parent/guardian consent form must be signed for those under 18. Questionnaires can be returned to the researcher in a stamped envelope that will be provided. Each subject will receive $10 as thanks for their participation. Participation is totally voluntary and can be withdrawn at any time. The responses of the group of adopted teens, as a whole, will be compared to the responses o the group of non-adoptees as a whole. The results o the study will be available to participants and their families upon request, and will be submitted to professional journals for publication.

This study has been approved by the Ethical Research with Human Participants Committee of the Pace University Psychology Department, and is being conducted with guidance of a committee of faculty advisors.

All interested parties may contact me as follows, for further information regarding the study, to offer suggestions or comments, or to have a questionnaire packet mailed:

Michael F. McGinn, MS Ed
phone: 212-864-6747
email: MFMCGINNPD@AOL.com

Hopefully this project will beget further research in this area.

Thank you!!

PERSONAL INFORMATION

To be completed by all participants. Please do NOT write your name on this form. You may ask a parent or guardian to help you complete this form. By "parent" we mean the person who have raised you and you consider your primary caretaker. If you are adopted, we are referring to your ADOPTIVE parents.

Part 1

Date of birth: ________________

Sex: (circle) Male Female
Ethnicity: (circle) Asian African-American Caucasian

Hispanic/Latino Other (specify)

School Grade: ________________________________________

Home setting: (circle) Rural/country Suburban Urban/city

Are both your parents living? ________ Yes ________ No

If one or both parent has died, please indicate which one(s) and

how long ago:______________________________________

Highest level of parent(s) or guardian(s) education:

That is, of your parents, indicate how far the parents who has spent he most time in school has gone.

(circle) Some High School High School Graduate

Some College College Graduate

Post-Graduate Studies

Please describe any other circumstances of your life which you would like o disclose and think are important to making you the person you are today. You might mention important childhood experiences, activities or hobbies, career goals, musical tastes, or anything you like.

Were you ADOPTED? That is, were you legally adopted by persons other than your biological/birth parents? This could include adoption by a non-relative, or a relative such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle. Etc., but NOT by a step-parent married to one of your biological parents.

Yes No

If YES, please complete Part 2. If NO, please go on to questionnaires 1 and 2. Thank you!

Part 2

FOR ADOPTED PARTICIPANTS ONLY

At what age were you adopted?

Were you adopted by anyone related to you or known to your biological/birth parents? For example, a grandparent, aunt, or family friend? _____Yes _____No

If YES, please describe:

Are your adopted parents from the same ethnic/racial group as yourself?

_____Yes _____No

If No, what is their ethnicity? ___________________________________________

Have you ever met one or both of your biological/birth parents?
_____Yes _____No

Please tell us any thoughts or feelings about your experiences as an adoptee that you would like to mention. Any thoughts you have on how your experiences as an adoptee have affected the person you are today would be most helpful. However, you are not required to write anything in this space.

Please go on to questionnaires 1 and 2.

Thank you!

QUESTIONAIRRE 2

Please select the ONE number that best reflects your feelings about each statement NOW. If a statement does not seem to apply to you (for example, you are asked about going on vacation with your mother and you have never gone on a vacation with her), respond as you imagine you would feel in that situation.

1:   Not at all true of me
2:   A little bit true of me
3:   Moderately true of me
4:   Quite a bit true of me
5:   Very true of me

___1. I like to show friends pictures of my mother.

___2. Sometimes my mother is a burden to me.

___3. I feel longing if I am away from my mother for too long.

___4. My ideas regarding racial equality are similar to my mother’s.

___5. My mother wishes to influence my selection of friends.

___6. I feel like I am constantly at war with my mother.

___7. I blame my mother for many of the problems I have.

___8. I wish I could trust my mother more.

___9. My attitudes about obscenity are similar to my mother’s.

___10. When I am in difficulty I usually call upon my mother help me out of trouble.

___11. My mother is the most important person in the whole world to me.

___12. I have to be careful not to hurt my mother’s feelings.

___13. I wish that my mother lived neared so I could visit her more frequently.

___14. My opinion regarding the role of woman are similar to my mother’s.

___15. I often ask my mother to assist me in solving my personal problems.

___16. I sometimes feel like I am being punished by my mother.

___17. Being away from my mother makes me feel lonely.

___18. I wish my mother wasn’t so overprotective.

___19. My opinion regarding the role of men are similar to my mother’s.

___20. I wouldn’t make a major purchase without my mother’s approval.

___21. I wish my mother wouldn’t try to manipulate me.

___22. I wish my mother wouldn’t try to make fun of me.

___23. I sometimes call home just to hear my mother’s voice.

___24. My religious beliefs are similar to my mother’s.

___25. My mother’s wishes have influenced my choice of major at school.

___26. I feel that I have obligations to my mother that I wish I didn’t have.

___27. My mother expects too much from me.

___28. I wish I could stop lying to my mother.

___29. My beliefs regarding how to raise children are similar to my mother’s.

___30. My mother helps me to make my budget.

___31. While I am home on a vacation I find it difficult to leave her (my mother).

___32. I often wish my mother would treat me more like an adult.

___33. After being with my mother on a vacation I find it difficult to leave her.

___34. My values regarding honesty are similar to my mother’s.

___35. I generally consult my mother when I make plans for an out-of-town weekend.

___36. I am often angry at my mother.

___37. I like to hug and kiss my mother.

___38. I hate it when my mother makes suggestions about what I should do.