THE EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL-ADJUSTMENT OF UNITED-STATES ADOPTED ADOLESCENTS .2. AGE AT ADOPTION

A sample of 4682 adolescent adoptees were divided into four groups, ac cording to self-reported age at adoption: [adopted at] age 0-1 (infant s), 2-5 years, 6-10 years, and above age 10. Comparisons among these f our groups and a matched control group of nonadoptees were made on 12 factors of emotional and behavioral adjustment and family functioning. Results showed that as age at adoption increased, level of overall ad optee adjustment decreased. Of tile four age at adoption groups, infan t adoptees were the most similar to the control group. Those adopted a bove age 10 differed most from controls. The means of the middle two a ge at adoption groups were generally intermediate between the two grou ps. On some factors, these groups differed significantly from the infa nt adoptees and controls; on others, they differed significantly from the oldest age at adoption group. Interactions of gender, race, and ag e [at assessment] with age at adoption were examined. None of the thre e-way interactions in the respective models using each of the three de mographic variables, adoption status, and age at adoption yielded sign ificance. The present results suggest that adoptee-nonadoptee differen ces are strongly moderated by age at adoption.