As I understand it, it means that they did a regression between some aggregate measure of family environment (like total family income) and the outcome of interest and it put a small regression coefficient on the aggregate measure and/or that the differences in outcomes between adopted children in the same home were not smaller than the differences between adopted children in different comes. In the later case, I think you can compare adopted children both to adopted and unadopted siblings. Have I explained that clearly?
Thanks! It seems to say that how well you age is more determined by genetics than who raised you, which is unsurprising given that you’ve had decades of other environmental influences by that time.
I see at least two twin-adoption studies which deal with adult outcomes (in Ch 2. of Caplan’s book), but I haven’t searched very thoroughly:
(I’ve requested this paper, but don’t yet have it Edit: here it is ). Age differences in genetic and environmental influences for health from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Agings this one has adult outcomes, but Jennifer Harris et al., “Age Differences in Genetic and Environmental Influences for Health from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging,” Journal of Geroontology 47 (3) (May 1992), pp. 213-220.
I haven’t gone though all the citations thoroughly though, so there might be more there. You’re right that there doesn’t seem to be that many.
Maybe I should know this, but what does it formally mean when a study claims “parenting does not affect outcome X”?
As I understand it, it means that they did a regression between some aggregate measure of family environment (like total family income) and the outcome of interest and it put a small regression coefficient on the aggregate measure and/or that the differences in outcomes between adopted children in the same home were not smaller than the differences between adopted children in different comes. In the later case, I think you can compare adopted children both to adopted and unadopted siblings. Have I explained that clearly?
Here’s an arbitrary adoption paper cited in the book: Sacerdote, B. (January 01, 2007). How Large Are the Effects from Changes in Family Environment? A Study of Korean American Adoptees *. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 122, 1, 119-157.
Note that the Sacerdote is the only study I’ve been able to find on adult outcomes of adoptees. There’s not much out there.
If you’re interested, I posted the swedish study.
Thanks! It seems to say that how well you age is more determined by genetics than who raised you, which is unsurprising given that you’ve had decades of other environmental influences by that time.
I see at least two twin-adoption studies which deal with adult outcomes (in Ch 2. of Caplan’s book), but I haven’t searched very thoroughly:
(I’ve requested this paper, but don’t yet have it Edit: here it is ). Age differences in genetic and environmental influences for health from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Agings this one has adult outcomes, but Jennifer Harris et al., “Age Differences in Genetic and Environmental Influences for Health from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging,” Journal of Geroontology 47 (3) (May 1992), pp. 213-220.
I haven’t gone though all the citations thoroughly though, so there might be more there. You’re right that there doesn’t seem to be that many.
This one talks about adult outcomes, but I can’t find out what ages they’re actually talking about, so it may be that most of them are early in life. Thomas Bouchard et al., “sources of Human Psuchological Differences: The Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart,” Science 250 (4978) (October 1990), p. 223.
I want to say “That can’t be right”, but I don’t have Caplan’s book with me to check his references. I’ll check this evening.
That study pretty much changed my mind about adopting, so if you find anything else, I’d like to know.