Siblings reared apart: A sibling comparison study on rearing environment differences

Developmental Psychology
Misaki N NatsuakiLeslie D Leve

Abstract

A plethora of studies with parents and children who are biologically related has shown that the family environment plays an important role in child development. However, scientists have long known that a rigorous examination of environmental effects requires research designs that go beyond studies of genetically linked family members. Harnessing the principles of sibling comparison and animal cross-fostering designs, we introduce a novel approach: the siblings-reared-apart design. Supplementing the traditional adoption design of adopted child and adoptive parents with a sample of the adopted children's birth parents who raised their biological child(ren) at home (i.e., biological siblings of adoptees), this design provides opportunities to evaluate the role of specific rearing environments. In this proof of concept approach, we tested whether rearing environments differed between adoptive and birth families. Using data from 118 sets of adoption-linked families, each consisting of an adoptive family and the adoptee's birth family, both of whom are raising at least a child in each home, we found that compared with families in the birth homes, (a) adoptive families had higher household incomes and maternal educational attainment; ...Continue Reading

Citations

Aug 24, 2019·Development and Psychopathology·Leslie D LeveDavid Reiss
Sep 19, 2019·Twin Research and Human Genetics : the Official Journal of the International Society for Twin Studies·Leslie D LeveDavid Reiss

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