Editing Adoption (section)

==Development of adoptees==
Previous research on adoption has led to assumptions that indicate that there is a heightened risk in terms of psychological development and social relationships for adoptees. Yet, such assumptions have been clarified as flawed due to methodological failures. But more recent studies have been supportive in indicating more accurate information and results about the similarities, differences and overall lifestyles of adoptees.<ref>L. Borders, et. Adult Adoptees and Their Friends, National Council of Family Relations, 2000, Vol. 49, No. 4,</ref> Adoptees are four times more likely to attempt suicide than other people.<ref>{{cite journal | pmc=3784288 | date=2013 | last1=Keyes | first1=M. A. | last2=Malone | first2=S. M. | last3=Sharma | first3=A. | last4=Iacono | first4=W. G. | last5=McGue | first5=M. | title=Risk of Suicide Attempt in Adopted and Nonadopted Offspring | journal=Pediatrics | volume=132 | issue=4 | pages=639–646 | doi=10.1542/peds.2012-3251 | pmid=24019414 }}</ref>

Evidence about the development of adoptees can be supported in newer studies. It can be said that adoptees, in some respect, tend to develop differently from the general population. This can be seen in many aspects of life, but usually can be found as a greater risk around the time of adolescence. For example, it has been found that many adoptees experience difficulty in establishing a sense of identity.<ref name=Beauchesne>Beauchesne, Lise M. (1997). ''[http://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/213/ As if born to: The social construction of a deficit identity position for adopted persons]'' (D.S.W. dissertation) Wilfrid Laurier University</ref>

===Identity===
There are many ways in which the concept of identity can be defined. It is true in all cases that identity construction is an ongoing process of development, change and maintenance of identifying with the self. Research has shown that adolescence is a time of identity progression rather than regression.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Meeus|first1=Wim|title=The Study of Adolescent Formation 2000–2010: A Review of Longitunal Research|journal=Journal of Research on Adolescence|volume=21|issue=1|page=88}}</ref> One's identity tends to lack stability in the beginning years of life but gains a more stable sense in later periods of childhood and adolescence. Typically associated with a time of experimentation, there are endless factors that go into the construction of one's identity. As well as being many factors, there are many types of identities one can associate with. Some categories of identity include gender, sexuality, class, racial and religious, etc. For transracial and [[International adoption|international]] adoptees, tension is generally found in the categories of racial, ethnic and national identification. Because of this, the strength and functionality of family relationships play a huge role in its development and outcome of identity construction. Transracial and transnational adoptees tend to develop feelings of a lack of acceptance because of such racial, ethnic, and cultural differences. Therefore, exposing transracial and transnational adoptees to their "cultures of origin" is important in order to better develop a sense of identity and appreciation for cultural diversity.<ref name="Orphan Sunday">{{cite journal|last1=Patton-Imani|first1=Sandra|title=Orphan Sunday: Narratives of Salvation in Transnational Adoption|journal=Dialog: A Journey of Theology|date=2012|volume=51|issue=4|page=301}}</ref> Identity construction and reconstruction for transnational adoptees the instant they are adopted. For example, based upon specific laws and regulations of the United States, the Child Citizen Act of 2000 makes sure to grant immediate U.S. citizenship to adoptees.<ref name="Orphan Sunday" />

Identity is defined both by what one is and what one is not. Adoptees born into one family lose an identity and then borrow one from the adopting family.
The formation of identity is a complicated process and there are many factors that affect its outcome. From a perspective of looking at issues in adoption circumstances, the people involved and affected by adoption (the biological parent, the adoptive parent and the adoptee) can be known as the "triad members and state".
Adoption may threaten triad members' sense of identity. Triad members often express feelings related to confused identity and identity crises because of differences between the triad relationships.
Adoption, for some, precludes a complete or integrated sense of self. Triad members may experience themselves as incomplete, deficient, or unfinished. They state that they lack feelings of well-being, integration, or solidity associated with a fully developed identity.<ref>24. Kaplan, Deborah N Silverstein and Sharon. Lifelong Issues in Adoption.</ref>

===Influences===

Family plays a vital role in identity formation. This is not only true in childhood but also in adolescence. Identity (gender/sexual/ethnic/religious/family) is still forming during adolescence and family holds a vital key to this.
The research seems to be unanimous; a stable, secure, loving, honest and supportive family in which all members feel safe to explore their identity is necessary for the formation of a sound identity. Transracial and [[International adoption|International]] adoptions are some factors that play a significant role in the identity construction of adoptees. Many tensions arise from relationships built between the adoptee(s) and their family. These include being "different" from the parent(s), developing a positive racial identity, and dealing with racial/ethnic discrimination.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Johnson|first1=Fern L.|last2=Mickelson|first2=Stacie|last3=Lopez Davila|first3=Mariana|title=Transracial Foster Care and Adoption: Issues and Realities|journal=New England Journal of Public Policy|date=22 September 2013|volume=25|issue=1|page=2|ref=88}}</ref> It has been found that multicultural and transnational youth tend to identify with their biological parents' culture of origin and ethnicity rather than their residing location, yet it is sometimes hard to balance an identity between the two because school environments tend to lack diversity and acknowledgment regarding such topics.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bauer|first1=Stephanie|last2=Loomis|first2=Colleen|last3=Akkari|first3=Abdeljalil|title=Intercultural immigrant youth identities in contexts of family, friends, and school|journal=Journal of Youth Studies|date=May 2012|volume=16|page=63|doi=10.1080/13676261.2012.693593|issue=1|s2cid=145615691}}</ref> These tensions also tend to create questions for the adoptee, as well as the family, to contemplate. Some common questions include what will happen if the family is more naïve to the ways of socially constructed life? Will tensions arise if this is the case? What if the very people that are supposed to be modeling a sound identity are in fact riddled with insecurities? Ginni Snodgrass answers these questions in the following way.
The secrecy in an adoptive family and the denial that the adoptive family is different builds dysfunction into it. "...&nbsp;social workers and insecure adoptive parents have structured a family relationship that is based on dishonesty, evasions and exploitation. To believe that good relationships will develop on such a foundation is psychologically unsound" (Lawrence). Secrecy erects barriers to forming a healthy identity.<ref>Snodgrass, Ginni D. Research and Studies on Adoptees. Statistics on the effects of Adoption. Appendix A. s.l. : George Fox University, 1998.</ref>

The research says that the dysfunction, untruths and evasiveness that can be present in adoptive families not only makes identity formation impossible, but also directly works against it. What effect on identity formation is present if the adoptee knows they are adopted but has no information about their biological parents? Silverstein and Kaplan's research states that adoptees lacking medical, genetic, religious, and historical information are plagued by questions such as "Who am I?" "Why was I born?" "What is my purpose?" This lack of identity may lead adoptees, particularly in adolescent years, to seek out ways to belong in a more extreme fashion than many of their non-adopted peers. Adolescent adoptees are overrepresented among those who join sub-cultures, run away, become pregnant, or totally reject their families.<ref>Kaplan, Deborah N Silverstein and Sharon. Lifelong Issues in A.</ref><ref>Adoption, and it's<!-- sic --> Associated Therapy Issues. A Literature Review discussing the impact of adoption on Self-worth, Identity and the Primary Relationships of the Adoptee and both the Biological and Adoptive Parents. Christine Peers 11/7/2012</ref>

Concerning developmental milestones, studies from the Colorado Adoption Project examined [[Heritability|genetic influences]] on adoptee maturation, concluding that cognitive abilities of adoptees reflect those of their adoptive parents in early childhood but show little similarity by adolescence, resembling instead those of their biological parents and to the same extent as peers in non-adoptive families.<ref name="Nature 1997"/>

Similar mechanisms appear to be at work in the physical development of adoptees. Danish and American researchers conducting studies on the genetic contribution to [[body mass index]] found correlations between an adoptee's weight class and his biological parents' BMI while finding no relationship with the adoptive family environment. Moreover, about one-half of inter-individual differences were due to individual non-shared influences.<ref name="The New England Journal of Medicine"/><ref name="International journal of obesity"/>

These differences in development appear to play out in the way young adoptees deal with major life events. In the case of parental divorce, adoptees have been found to respond differently from children who have not been adopted. While the general population experienced more behavioral problems, substance use, lower school achievement, and impaired social competence after parental divorce, the adoptee population appeared to be unaffected in terms of their outside relationships, specifically in their school or social abilities.<ref name="American Psychological Association"/>

The adoptee population does, however, seem to be more at risk for certain behavioral issues. Researchers from the University of Minnesota studied adolescents who had been adopted and found that adoptees were twice as likely as non-adopted people to develop [[oppositional defiant disorder]] (ODD) and [[attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]] (ADHD), with an 8% rate in the general population.<ref>Kaplan, Arline, [http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1367897 Psychiatric Times], 26 January 2009</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=July 2022}} Suicide risks were also significantly greater than the general population. Swedish researchers found both international and domestic adoptees undertook suicide at much higher rates than non-adopted peers; with international adoptees and female international adoptees, in particular, at highest risk.<ref>Annika von Borczyskowski, Suicidal behavior in national and international adult adoptees, [https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00127-005-0974-2 Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology] Volume 41, Number 2 / February, 2006</ref>

Nevertheless, work on adult adoptees has found that the additional risks faced by adoptees are largely confined to adolescence. Young adult adoptees were shown to be alike with adults from biological families and scored better than adults raised in alternative family types including single parent and step-families.<ref>William Feigelman, Comparisons with Persons Raised in Conventional Families, ''Marriage & Family Review'' 1540-9635, Volume 25, Issue 3, 1997, Pages 199&nbsp;– 223</ref> Moreover, while adult adoptees showed more variability than their non-adopted peers on a range of psychosocial measures, adult adoptees exhibited more similarities than differences with adults who had not been adopted.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Border | first1 = L. DiAnne | year = 2000 | title = Adult Adoptees and Their Friends | journal = [[Family Relations (journal)|Family Relations]] | volume = 49 | issue = 4| pages = 407–418 | jstor=585836 | doi=10.1111/j.1741-3729.2000.00407.x| url = http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/L_Borders_Adult_2000.pdf }}</ref> There have been many cases of remediation or the reversibility of early trauma. For example, in one of the earliest studies conducted, Professor Goldfarb in England concluded that some children adjust well socially and emotionally despite their negative experiences of institutional deprivation in early childhood.<ref>Goldfarb, W. (1955). Emotional and intellectual consequences of psychologic deprivation in infancy: A Re-evaluation. In P. Hoch & J. Zubin (Eds.), Psychopathology of Childhood (pp. 105–119). NY: Grune & Stratton.</ref> Other researchers also found that prolonged institutionalization does not necessarily lead to emotional problems or character defects in all children. This suggests that there will always be some children who fare well, who are resilient, regardless of their experiences in early childhood.<ref>Pringel, M. L., & Bossio, V. (1960). Early, prolonged separation and emotional adjustment. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 37–48</ref> Furthermore, much of the research on psychological outcomes for adoptees draws from clinical populations. This suggests that conclusions such that adoptees are more likely to have behavioral problems such as ODD and ADHD may be biased. Since the proportion of adoptees that seek mental health treatment is small, psychological outcomes for adoptees compared to those for the general population are more similar than some researchers propose.<ref>Hamilton, L. (2012). Adoption. In Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. Retrieved from http://www.sociologyencyclopedia.com/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724195425/http://www.sociologyencyclopedia.com/ |date=24 July 2008 }}</ref>

While adoption studies have shown that by adulthood the personalities of adopted siblings are little or no more similar than random pairs of strangers, the parenting style of adoptive parents may still play a role in the outcome of their adoptive children. Research has suggested that adoptive parents can have impacts on adoptees as well, several recent studies have shown that warm adoptive parenting can reduce behavioral problems of adopted children over time.<ref name="Paine" /><ref name="Reuben" />

=== Mental health ===
Adopted children are more likely to experience psychological and behavioral problems than non-adopted peers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Duncan |first1=Morvwen |last2=Woolgar |first2=Matt |last3=Ransley |first3=Rachel |last4=Fearon |first4=Pasco |date=2021-12-01 |title=Mental health and behavioural difficulties in adopted children: A systematic review of post-adoption risk and protective factors |url=https://doi.org/10.1177/03085759211058358 |journal=Adoption & Fostering |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=414–429 |doi=10.1177/03085759211058358|s2cid=245473080 }}</ref> Children who were older than four at the time of their adoption experience more psychological problems than those who were younger.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |date=2020-08-28 |title=Adopted children can experience lasting mental health problems |url=https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/adopted-children-can-experience-lasting-mental-health-problems/ |journal=NIHR Evidence |type=Plain English summary |language=en |doi=10.3310/alert_40787|s2cid=241503976 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nadeem |first1=Erum |last2=Waterman |first2=Jill |last3=Foster |first3=Jared |last4=Paczkowski |first4=Emilie |last5=Belin |first5=Thomas R. |last6=Miranda |first6=Jeanne |date=2016-01-28 |title=Long-Term Effects of Pre-Placement Risk Factors on Children's Psychological Symptoms and Parenting Stress Among Families Adopting Children From Foster Care |journal=Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders |language=en |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=67–81 |doi=10.1177/1063426615621050 |issn=1063-4266 |pmc=5734114 |pmid=29263641}}</ref>

According to study in the UK, adopted children can have mental health problems that do not improve even four years after their adoption. Children with multiple [[adverse childhood experiences]] are more likely to have mental health problems. The study suggests that to identify and treat mental health problems early, care professionals and the adopting parents need detailed biographical information about the child's life.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Paine |first1=Amy L. |last2=Fahey |first2=Kevin |last3=Anthony |first3=Rebecca E. |last4=Shelton |first4=Katherine H. |date=2021-05-01 |title=Early adversity predicts adoptees' enduring emotional and behavioral problems in childhood |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01553-0 |journal=European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry |language=en |volume=30 |issue=5 |pages=721–732 |doi=10.1007/s00787-020-01553-0 |issn=1435-165X |pmc=8060221 |pmid=32468437}}</ref> Another study in the UK suggests that adopted children are more likely to suffer from [[Post-traumatic stress disorder|post-traumatic stress]] (PTS) than the general population. Their PTS symptoms depend on the type of adverse experiences they went through and knowledge of their history offers an option for tailored support.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2021-08-03 |title=Adopted children may develop specific types of post-traumatic stress |url=https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/adopted-children-may-develop-specific-types-of-post-traumatic-stress/ |journal=NIHR Evidence |type=Plain English summary |language=en |doi=10.3310/alert_47378|s2cid=242996830 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Anthony |first1=R. |last2=Paine |first2=A.L. |last3=Westlake |first3=M. |last4=Lowthian |first4=E. |last5=Shelton |first5=K.H. |date=7 November 2020 |title=Patterns of adversity and post-traumatic stress among children adopted from care |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0145213420304506 |journal=Child Abuse & Neglect |language=en |volume=130 |issue=Pt 2 |pages=104795 |doi=10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104795|pmid=33172646 |s2cid=226304165 }}</ref>

===Adoptees of LGBT parents===
There is evidence that shows the adoptees of [[LGBT]] families and those in heterosexual families have no significant differences in development. One of the main arguments used against [[same-sex adoption]] is that a child needs a mother and a father in the home to develop properly. However, a 2013 study of predictors for psychological outcomes of adoptees showed that family type (hetero, gay, lesbian) does not affect the child's adjustment; rather the preparedness of the adoptive parent(s), and health of relationship to partner, and other contextual factors predicted later adjustment in early placed adoptees.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Farr |first1=Rachel H. |chapter=Lesbian and Gay Adoptive Parents and Their Children |date=2013 |title=LGBT-Parent Families: Innovations in Research and Implications for Practice |pages=39–55 |editor-last=Goldberg |editor-first=Abbie E. |place=New York, NY |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-4614-4556-2_3 |isbn=978-1-4614-4556-2 |last2=Patterson |first2=Charlotte J. |editor2-last=Allen |editor2-first=Katherine R.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Averett |first1=Paige |last2=Nalavany |first2=Blace |last3=Ryan |first3=Scott |date=2009-11-30 |title=An Evaluation of Gay/Lesbian and Heterosexual Adoption |journal=Adoption Quarterly |language=en |volume=12 |issue=3–4 |pages=129–151 |doi=10.1080/10926750903313278 |s2cid=143679873 |issn=1092-6755|doi-access=free }}</ref> Along with this, a 2009 study showed again that sexual orientation of parents does not affect externalizing and internalized problems, but family functioning and income can affect adjustment, especially for older adoptees.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Goldberg |first1=Abbie E. |last2=Smith |first2=JuliAnna Z. |date=2013 |title=Predictors of psychological adjustment in early placed adopted children with lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents. |url=http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/a0032911 |journal=Journal of Family Psychology |language=en |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=431–442 |doi=10.1037/a0032911 |pmid=23750525 |issn=1939-1293}}</ref>

===Late-Discovery Adoptees===
"Late-discovery adoption" is a term used to describe the situation where an adopted individual first discovers that they are adopted at a later age than is universally considered to be appropriate, often well into adulthood. Adopted individuals who discover their adoption status at a later age are referred to as late-discovery adoptees (LDAs). Failure of the adoptive parent(s) to disclose adoption status to a child is an outdated adoption practice that was once fairly common for adoptees born in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Since the 1970s, it has been socially unacceptable to keep the truth from adopted individuals regarding their genetic origins. The discovery of the deception regarding true parentage and that one is, in fact, a late-discovery adoptee can add "layers of trauma, loss, betrayal, identity confusion, and disorganization upon learning the truth."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latediscoveryadoptees.com/|title=A safe space for Late-Discovery Adoptees or anyone who has made an unexpected discovery about their parentage|publisher=latediscoveryadoptees.com|access-date=21 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanadoptioncongress.org/docs/801%20-%20why-wasnt-i-told-may2001.pdf|title=Why wasn't I told? Making sense of the late discovery of adoption|last=Pearl|first=Lynne|publisher=The Benevolent Society|date=May 2000|access-date=21 February 2023}}</ref>

=== Public perception of adoption ===
[[File:Anne of Green Gables.jpg|thumb|280px|Actors at the [[Anne of Green Gables]] Museum on [[Prince Edward Island]], Canada. Since its first publication in 1908, the story of the orphaned Anne, and how the Cuthberts took her in, has been widely popular in the English-speaking world and, later, Japan.]]
In Western culture, many see the common image of a family as being that of a heterosexual couple with biological children. This idea places alternative family forms outside the norm. As a consequence – research indicates – disparaging views of adoptive families exist, along with doubts concerning the strength of their family bonds.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Adoption, Family Ideology, and Social Stigma: Bias in Community Attitudes, Adoption Research, and Practice|first=Katarina|last=Wegar|journal=Family Relations|volume=49|issue=4|pages=363–370| jstor = 585831|year=2000|doi=10.1111/j.1741-3729.2000.00363.x}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.2307/353920| jstor = 353920| title = Perception of Adoption as Social Stigma: Motivation for Search and Reunion| journal = Journal of Marriage and the Family| volume = 57| issue = 3| pages = 653–660| year = 1995| last1 = March | first1 = K. }} p. 654.</ref>

The most recent adoption attitudes survey completed by the Evan Donaldson Institute provides further evidence of this stigma. Nearly one-third of the surveyed population believed adoptees are less-well adjusted, more prone to medical issues, and predisposed to drug and alcohol problems. Additionally, 40–45% thought adoptees were more likely to have behavior problems and trouble at school. In contrast, the same study indicated adoptive parents were viewed favorably, with nearly 90% describing them as "lucky, advantaged, and unselfish".<ref>National Adoption Attitudes Survey, June 2002, Evan Donaldson Institute, page 20 and 38."</ref>

The majority of people state that their primary source of information about adoption comes from friends and family and the news media. Nevertheless, most people report the media provides them a favorable view of adoption; 72% indicated receiving positive impressions.<ref>National Adoption Attitudes Survey, June 2002, Evan Donaldson Institute, page 47"</ref> There is, however, still substantial criticism of the media's adoption coverage. Some adoption blogs, for example, criticized ''[[Meet the Robinsons]]'' for using outdated orphanage imagery<ref>[http://adopteesx3.blogspot.com/2007/04/usa-today-article-on-meet-robinsons.html 3 Generations of Adoption, 12 April 2007]</ref><ref>[http://www.mayasmom.com/talk/a8739/meet_the_robinsons Maya's Mom, 7 April 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503182943/http://www.mayasmom.com/talk/a8739/meet_the_robinsons |date=3 May 2008 }}</ref> as did advocacy non-profit The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080503124705/http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/media/20070409_press_disney.php The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, 9 April 2007 press release]}}</ref>

The stigmas associated with adoption are amplified for children in [[foster care]].<ref>National Adoption Attitudes Survey, June 2002, Evan Donaldson Institute, page 20."</ref> Negative perceptions result in the belief that such children are so troubled it would be impossible to adopt them and create "normal" families.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/policy/polface.html |title=Policy and Practice: Many Faces of Adoption |access-date=2006-03-12 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060219052542/http://www.adoptioninstitute.org/policy/polface.html |archive-date=19 February 2006}} The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute</ref> A 2004 report from the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care has shown that the number of children waiting in foster care doubled since the 1980s and now remains steady at about a half-million a year."<ref>http://pewfostercare.org/docs/index.php?DocID=41 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051217144829/http://pewfostercare.org/docs/index.php?DocID=41 |date=17 December 2005 }} The Pew Commission of Children in Foster Care</ref>

Attitude toward Adoption Questionnaire (ATAQ):<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337290953 |title=The Development and Standardization of Psychometric Criteria of Attitude toward Adoption Questionnaire (ATAQ) and its Relation to Prosocial Behavior and Character Strengths |date=November 2019 |first1=Hasan |last1=Abdollahzadeh |first2=Ommolbanin |last2=Chaloui
|first3=Hiva  |last3=Mahmoudi |via=[[ResearchGate]]}}</ref> this questionnaire was first developed by Abdollahzadeh, Chaloyi and Mahmoudi(2019).<ref>Abdollahzadeh, H., Chaloui.O., Mahmoudi, H.(2019). The Development and Standardization of Psychometric Criteria of Attitude toward Adoption Questionnaire (ATAQ) and its Relation to Prosocial Behavior and Character Strengths, International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences (IJABS),6(1),1–12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v6i1.26379</ref> Preliminary Edition: This questionnaire has 23 items based on the Likert scale of 1 (totally Disagree), up to 5 (Totally Agree) being obtained after refining the items designed to construct the present tool and per-study study. The analysis of item and initial psychometric analyses indicate that there are two factors in it. Items 3-10-11-12-14-15-16-17-19-20-21 are reversed and the rest are graded positively. The results of exploratory factor analysis by main components with varimax rotation indicated two components of attitude toward adoption being named respectively cognitive as the aspects of attitude toward adoption and behavioral-emotional aspects of attitude toward adoption. These two components explained 43.25% of the variance of the total sample. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to measure the reliability of the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.709 for the whole questionnaire, 0.71 for the first component, and 0.713 for the second one. In addition, there was a significant positive relationship between desired social tendencies and the cognitive aspect of attitude toward adoption as well as the behavioral -emotional aspects of attitude toward adoption (P ≤ 0.01).