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THE RESOLUTION OF INFERTILITY AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF ADOPTIVE REALITY By ERNEST R. DOWNS A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 1993 To Joy and Rachel ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My dissertation process would have been more arduous and less rewarding without the guidance and support I received along the way. I offer my appreciation to those who have aided me in this long and trying endeavor. Dr. James Archer has been both wise and caring in structuring, guidance, and support. He has both seen me through times in which I doubted my powers of perseverance and offered expert counsel in matters of conceptualization, implementation, organization, and expression. His patience during my false starts and periods of inactivity will long be remembered and appreciated. My other committee members also deserve my thanks, for their assistance both with my dissertation and during my academic years. Dr. Harry Grater has been an inspirational teacher and supervisor, and remains the most significant influence on my interest in and knowledge of psychotherapy. Dr. James Morgan, as teacher, fellow student, and committee member, has always displayed the insight, good humor, and sense of proportion which make endeavors not only feasible but also worthwhile. Dr. Mary Fukuyama has been an influential supervisor, valued friend, and important source of information and support with my dissertation. iii I doubt that I would have completed this project without the faith, support, and good judgement of my wife Joy. She has given endlessly of her caring, her ideas, and her babysitting. Finally, I should thank my daughter, Rachel, who has reawakened my awareness that life goes on, change can be good, and mastery is fun. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER INTRODUCTION 1 1 Statement of the Problem 2 Purpose of the Study 3 Perspectives on Adoption 4 The Resolution of Infertility 6 The Acceptance of Adoptive Reality 7 Other Variables 9 Hypotheses 12 Definition of Terms 13 Organization of the Study 16 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 17 Historical Perspective 17 Elements of Adoptive Outcome 2 Current Adoptive Issues 33 Theories of Adoptee Vulnerability 49 Infertility and Adoptive Counseling 67 Instrumentation 71 Chapter Summary 86 MATERIALS AND METHODS 88 3 Procedures and Data Collection 88 Return Rate: Standards and Methodology 89 Sample 93 Design 96 Data Analysis 97 RESULTS 100 4 Descriptive Results 100 Further Tests and Relationships Ill DISCUSSION 123 5 Limitations of the Study 123 Evaluation of Hypotheses 126 v CHAPTER Page Conclusions 131 Implications 136 Summation 141 APPENDICES — A ADJUSTMENT TO INFERTILITY SCALE REVISED 143 — .... B ADOPTIVE PARENT QUESTIONNAIRE SHORT FORM 146 C INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONNAIRE 152 D LETTER TO POTENTIAL SUBJECTS 153 E SCORING RULES AND PROCEDURES 154 REFERENCES 163 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 174 VI Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy THE RESOLUTION OF INFERTILITY AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF ADOPTIVE REALITY By Ernest R. Downs August, 199 3 Chairman: James Archer, Jr. Major Department: Counselor Education Adoptees display markedly higher rates of developmental disturbances than do nonadoptees Particularly prevalent in . the adoptee population are antisocial characteristics such as criminalilty aggressiveness, youthful pregnancy, and , adjustment reactions. Various explanations for this tendency have been posited. The current research focused on the resolution of infertility issues of adoptive parents, and the relationship between such resolution and the willingness to both openly acknowledge the differences between adoptive and biological parenting and to interact with others regarding adoptive issues. It also considered the hypothesis that these adoptive parent experiences and behaviors are related to vii . certain demographic conditions through a mechanism termed "role handicap" in past investigations. Adoptive parents of three adoption agencies were asked to respond to a mail questionnaire, which included a demographic section, an acceptance of adoptive reality questionnaire, and a resolution of infertility questionnaire. Confidentiality procedures insured that individual responders would not be identified with their responses Resolution of infertility was measured with the Adjustment to Infertility Scale. Parental beliefs and behaviors regarding adoptive issues were calibrated on the Adoptive Parenthood Questionnaire. The relationship of resolution of infertility to acceptance of adoptive reality was the measurement of primary concern. Other relationships examined were those of both resolution of infertility and acceptance of adoptive reality to postinfertility stage, gender, religion, religiosity, and differentiating adoptee characteristic (interracial, foreign, and/or handicapped). No significant relationships were obtained for any of the hypothesized relationships. A factor analysis of the Adoptive Parenthood Questionnaire yielded three discrete factors. One of these, the celebration of and voluntary association around adoption, had a significant positive Vlll relationship with religiosity. Reasons for questioning the veracity of this relationship were discussed. The feasibility of investigating sensitive aspects of infertility through voluntary and noncoercive means was established in this investigation. Additionally, the means employed for measuring current effects of past trauma was questioned, and an alternative proposed. IX t CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The husband I always thought would be there to stand by me turned away. After all, he's not a woman. He's not the one the doctor is examining under a microscope. His life hasn't really changed. Even if I did have kids his routine would be basically the same. Because he's not the one going through all the tests he can't be faulted for not understanding when I dissolve each time my period comes. I blame myself for not being able to make him understand my pain. And then I feel angry. What can he understand? (Menning, 1977, p. ' 106) . The torment of this female member of an infertile couple includes two major elements of concern to those involved in adoptive parenting. The focus of the quote is on the pain and disorientation which infertility usually imposes (Harkness, 1987; Matthews & Matthews, 1986a; Menning, 1977; Porter & Christopher, 1984; Renne, 1977; Salzer, 1986; Shapiro, 1982). Strongly contributing to the woman's distress, however, is the lack of symmetry between her role and that of her husband. This spawns her guilt and anger and seems to preclude the understanding and support they both need. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (1969) is best known for the formulation of stages through which dying persons pass in their acceptance of their fate. A corollary to this progression is the proposition that the duration, 1