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Motivations and the decision-making process in
becoming an adoptive family: An exploratory
study with Portuguese adoptive parents
Ralha, S., Soares, J., Fonseca, S., Salgado, I., Pinho, S., & Barbosa-Ducharne, M.
Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
RESULTS
METHOD
Participants:
126 Portuguese adoptive parents (92 mothers; 34 fathers)
• Age: M= 45.34 (SD = 4.77; 32-59)
• Years of schooling: M= 13.22 (SD = 4.54; 4-23)
• 111 two-parent families and 15 single mothers
who had adopted 126 children (73 boys; 53 girls)
• Age at time of study: M= 8.76 (SD = 0.77; 8-10 years)
• Age at adoption placement: M= 3.13 (SD = 2.14; 0.20-8.00 years)
• Length of adoption: M= 5.63 (SD = 2.14; 1.00-9.40 years)
Instrument:
Parents’ Interview on the Adoption
Process (Barbosa-Ducharne & Soares, 2012)
• Open question
(What were your main motivations to adopt?)
• Likert scale questions
(e.g., Difficulty of the decision-making process:
1= Very difficult to 7 = Very easy)
Data Analyses:
•Qualitative
(content analysis)
•Quantitative
(descriptive statistics,
Pearson’s bivariate
correlations)
Extended family
and friends’
reaction was
described as
considerably
positive
M= 6.37; SD =
1.05;
1 (Very Negative) to 7
(Very Positive)
Positive correlation between Family
and friends’ reaction and Easiness of
the adoption decision-making process
(r= .24; p= .007)
The majority of
the participants
felt that the
adoption
decision-making
process was
easy
M= 5.87; SD = 1.36
1 (Very Difficult) to 7
(Very Easy)
Both
elements
of the
couple
43%
Female
40%
Male
17%
INI TIATIVE T O AD OP T
Comply
48%
Accept
22%
Hesitate
28%
Reject
2%
SPO USE’S REACT IO N
35%
44%
21%
CONCLUSION
Motivations seemed to be dynamic and interrelated showing the complexity of the decision-making process.
For the adoption process to be successful, it is important to find a balance between self-centred motivations
and child centred ones.
These results highlight the need for an in depth exploration of parents’ motivations previous to child
placement, so that “loss of motivation” and, hence, disruption can be avoided and adoption success can be
promoted.
Self-Centred Motivations
Both Child-Centred and Self-Centred Motivations
Child-Centred Motivations
SOC IA L S HA RING OF AD OPTIO N
DECIS IO N- MAKING P RO CE SS
Several underlying motivations can be found in the decision-making process of becoming
an adoptive family. Even though this process is conceptualized as rational, the
motivations underlying the adoption project do not always show considerable reflection.
Adoption literature has highlighted that parents’ adoption motivations can influence the
adoption process itself and the success of the parent-child relationship. However,
research exploring in-depth adoption-related motivations is scarce. The few studies on
this issue have essentially focused on infertility-related motives and have not explored
others.
INTRODUCTION GOALS
To explore:
• the motivations underlying the
adoption project;
• the adoption decision-making
process in terms of initiative, spouse
reaction, easiness, sharing with the
extended family and friends and
others’ social reactions.
BIOLOGICAL ISSUES 73.8%
Biological difficulty/impossibility of getting pregnant
Health risk 7.5% Running out of options 21.5%
Biological unviability 33.3%
…I had to undergo painful treatments
without guarantees of success ... so we
decided to adopt.
It was a consequence of many
treatments that did not work
out.
It was a biological issue. My
husband is sterile.
FILLING IN A VOID/LONELINESS 20.6%
Need to fill in a void on a personal level or for the couple
Sharing, company
and personal/
couple fulfilment
88.5%
Death of a
birth child
10.5%
EXPANDING THE FAMILY 18.3% An opportunity to expand the family
ADOPTION AS A LIFE PROJECT 20.6%
Considering and/or planning adoption as a personal life project or
for the couple.
Two of my
daughters died and
I wanted a daughter.
We wanted to have many children, a bigger family.
PARENTHOOD
51.6%
The need/desire of
experiencing parenthood
I wanted to …
make a child happy.
…provide comfort to a
child who had never
had anything.
…give the child a
chance to have a better
life, a family.
CONTACT WITH THE
REALITY OF CHILD
CARE 7.1%
Motivation comes from
knowing/experiencing
the reality of residential
care or adoption
PHILANTHROPIC IDEAS
29.4%
The desire of
helping/rescuing
children in need
Desire to have a
son/daughter
76.9%
Wanting to be a
parent
30.8%
It didn’t matter if I
was pregnant or not, I
just wanted to be a
mother
We talked about the possibility of adopting as soon as we met. It was
already both our wish.
I met him at the
residential care centre
where I work. Adoption
was always a wish, but
we bonded.
Infertility 38.7%
I really wanted a
daughter.
We liked children and
couldn’t have our own.
I tried but I had a health problem and … I
decided to adopt.
We wanted to have
someone with whom
to share our lives.
giiaa@fpce.up.pt
For additional information about the study, please contact: joanalara@fpce.up.pt or abarbosa@fpce.up.pt