Tests of Between-Subjects Effects

Figure 1

Handout containing the instructions and example provided to students

“Imagine a planet just like Earth existing somewhere in the universe. It is currently uninhabited. Your task is to design a new creature to inhabit the planet Within the allotted 10 minutes, draw a creature of your own creative design as you are able. Provide both a front and side view. Duplication of creatures now extinct or living on planet Earth is not permitted After drawing the creature: 1) label each part of the creature and 2) briefly describe and explain the creature.”

Estimated marginal means of aspects plagiarized

Personal Biography

I am a senior at Christopher Newport University. I transferred to CNU from a community college in Roanoke, VA and deciding to attend CNU to pursue my B.S. in Psychology was a great decision. I have always had an interest in working with and helping children develop. Research is very interesting to me, and I plan on continuing my research at Radford University. I was accepted into Radford’s Experimental Psychology Program and will be attending in fall 2011. I will be doing research under a developmental psychologist and I am very excited. I would not be where I am today if it were not for God, my family, and my friends. They have all been huge supporters and encourage me in everything I do. I also like to spend time outdoors, going swimming, going to movies, and just relaxing. College has been a great experience, and I look forward to what my future brings!

Unsealing an Adoptee’s Past

Heather McGriff

Sponsoring Professor : Dr. Tina Kempin-Reuter

Abstract

Unsealing an Adoptee’s Past discusses the legality of an adoptee’s right to their original birth records being that they are the only U.S. citizens who are not automatically given access to these records, and must generally fight for information about themselves. Adoption is on the rise, and due to this an effort must be made to alter the current legislation in place regarding the access to birth records for adoptees. Through the use of adoption history in the United States, legal cases, the current birth records retrieval processes in specific states, and actual adoption interviews, a proposed legislation argument will be made as to how the adoption record retrieval process should be revised to be in the favor of the adoptees.

Introduction

Adoption has been in existence in many societies for centuries; however, the trends surrounding adoption in the United States have changed over time just as society has expanded and changed. This is especially evident in regards to the manner in which confidentiality is handled in respect to birth parents and the adopted child, or adoptee. Legally, an original birth certificate is created when a child is born containing the biological parents’ information; however, once they are adopted, the original birth certificate is given to the courts and a new one is issued with the adoptive parents’ information rather than the biological parents’. The manner in which an adoptee can retrieve their original birth certificate, if at all, then varies by the state in which they were adopted. The legality of receiving one’s birth certificate should be uniform and regulated federally versus adoptees having different rights to their records based on the state in which they were adopted. In addition, all adoptees should automatically have access to their original birth certificate once they reach twenty-one years of age, because after all those birth certificates are the adoptee’s records not those of the biological parents. Thus a biological parent should not have the right to take away someone else’s original birth certificate, because it is not their decision to determine whether or not an adoptee should have their own records.

Literature Review

There has not been much research in the past on how to change the legislative policies of the sealed adoptive records containing original birth certificates. Many authors describe what the policy has looked liked in the past, many activists argue to change the policy, but few people describe and argue what exactly this change should look like. Most research focuses on the issues for adoptees themselves and not the policy.

However, a common theme research has shown is the psychological issues adoptees face as children and adults. Studies show that children who are adopted have “greater problems and maladjustments… with a higher incidences of learning and behavioral problems” (Brodzinsky and Palacios 118-119). In addition, adoptees in general are shown to receive counseling much more often than the rest of society because of feelings of rejection and having to deal with indescribable emotions (Pertman 85). This rate is even higher during childhood, and probably correlates to when a child discovers they are adopted (Pertman 85).

Another theme prevalent in most research regarding adoption details the process that comes after adoptees are made aware of their adoption, and that is the search for birth parents. Authors of such studies have not as of yet succeeded in pinpointing a number concerning how many adoptees search for their birth parents, because it is impossible to know how many adoptees are aware that they are adopted or in the manner in which adoptees choose to conduct their search (Adamec and Pierce 252). However, they note that the escalating number of search groups and adoptee registries indicates the growing number of adoptees searching (Adamec and Pierce 252). Not only does research describe the turmoil adoptees face and their need to uncover their background, but they describe how birth parents and extended family need the same connection. The Children’s Home Society of Washington did a study on family other than birth parents who came back in search of their relatives and revealed that 47% of their sample wanted to be in contact with their loved one who had been relinquished (Carp 71). The study showed that 54% of the people returning were women and 27% of the requesters “asked for identifying information… usually… brothers and sisters (Carp 73).