Adoptive Identity: Emerging Adult International Adoptees’ Narrative Coherence Following Early Institutional Care by Samuel Vladimir Highland B.A., Clark University, 2016 M.S., Antioch University New England, 2019 DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Psychology in the Department of Clinical Psychology at Antioch University New England, 2020 Keene, New Hampshire ii Department of Clinical Psychology DISSERTATION COMMITTEE PAGE The undersigned have examined the dissertation entitled: ADOPTIVE IDENTITY: EMERGING ADULT INTERNATIONAL ADOPTEES’ NARRATIVE COHERENCE FOLLOWING EARLY INSTITUTIONAL CARE presented on October 20, 2020 by Samuel Vladimir Highland Candidate for the degree of Doctor of Psychology and hereby certify that it is accepted*. Dissertation Committee Chairperson: Martha B. Straus, PhD Dissertation Committee members: Susan Hawes, PhD Gina Pasquale, PsyD Accepted by the Department of Clinical Psychology Chairperson Vincent Pignatiello, PsyD 10/20/2020 *Signatures are on file with the Registrar’s Office at Antioch University New England. iii Acknowledgements To the individuals who took the time to be interviewed for this study, thank you for your willingness to be vulnerable and share openly about your international adoption story. To all children with complex forms of developmental trauma, thank you for regularly renewing my faith in the resilient capacity of the human spirit. To Dr. Martha Straus, thank you for helping me grow professionally and personally throughout graduate school, as well as for your guidance and love that helped make this dissertation into a reality. To Dr. Gina Pasquale and Dr. Susan Hawes, thank you for your professional and academic mentorship over the past several years. To my parents, Dorothy and Joseph, thank you for every opportunity you have provided me to thrive in life. To my siblings, Rebecca and Michael, thank you for treating me like a biological sibling. iv Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................2 Context of the Problem ........................................................................................................2 Early Institutional Care ........................................................................................................3 Resilience Following Adoption ...........................................................................................8 Narrative Coherence and Emerging Adulthood .................................................................10 Key Terms ..........................................................................................................................10 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................13 Knowledge Gap .................................................................................................................22 Research Questions ............................................................................................................23 Method ...........................................................................................................................................24 Research Paradigm and Study Design ...............................................................................24 Qualitative Design .............................................................................................................25 Procedure ...........................................................................................................................27 Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................31 Results ............................................................................................................................................34 Missing Pieces of the Adoption Story ...............................................................................36 Influential People in an International Adoptees’ Life........................................................39 Complexities Faced by International Adoptees .................................................................42 The Meaning of Shared Culture, Family, and Friends for International Adoptees ...........45 Elements of Adoptive Identity ...........................................................................................47 Discussion ......................................................................................................................................52 Four Super-Ordinate Clusters ............................................................................................52 Review of the Research Questions ....................................................................................57 Recommendations for Working with International Adoptees ...........................................65 Limitations .........................................................................................................................68 Future Directions ...............................................................................................................69 Clinical Implications ..........................................................................................................71 Researcher Reflection ........................................................................................................72 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................73 v References ......................................................................................................................................75 Appendix A: Interview Questions .................................................................................................81 Appendix B: Invitation to Participate ............................................................................................82 Appendix C: Consent Form ...........................................................................................................83 Appendix D: Grotevant and Von Korff’s (2011) Adoptive Identity Theory Questions ................85 Appendix E: Request for Permission .............................................................................................86 Appendix F: Demographic Data ....................................................................................................87 Appendix G: Tables .......................................................................................................................88 vi List of Tables Table 1. Four Super-ordinate Clusters and Themes.......................................................................88 Table 2. Super-ordinate Clusters and Themes with Supporting Quotes from the Interviews ........................................................................................................................89 Table 3. Elements of Adoptive Identity Theory by Degree Present in Selected Interviews ..................................................................................................................108 1 Abstract It is well established that, while all orphanages are not equally harsh, none can provide the quality of care found in most homes. The depriving circumstances of many such institutions often leads to lingering delays across social, emotional, cognitive, psychological, and physical domains of development. However, for many international adoptees there is evidence of resilience and catch-up growth across these same domains following adoption. Adoptive identity theory provides the framework for this qualitative exploration assessing the degree of coherence among six previously-institutionalized (PI) international adoptees’ narratives about the meaning and role of adoption in their lives as emerging adults. Adoptive identity theory has been applied to domestic adoptions; the model successfully predicts adopted adolescents’ psychological adjustment as emerging adults. This dissertation addresses a knowledge gap, looking at the applicability of adoptive identity theory as it relates to international adoptees who have lived in an orphanage. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to examine participants’ individual perspectives on the impact of beginning life in an orphanage on their post-adoption life. Four super-ordinate clusters emerged from the interview data: (a) Missing Pieces of the Adoption Story; (b) Influential People in an International Adoptees’ Life; (c) Complexities Faced by International Adoptees; and (d) The Meaning of Shared Culture, Family, and Friends for International Adoptees. The results are discussed in conjunction with the existing adoption literature with the intention of informing clinical practice with this population. Keywords: international adoption, institutional care, orphanage, adoptive identity theory 2 Adoptive Identity: Emerging Adult International Adoptees’ Narrative Coherence Following Early Institutional Care Context of the Problem Recent data suggests over 19,000 children are adopted internationally each year (Selman, 2013). This number has been higher in the past, with over 40,000 children and 100 countries involved in international adoptions (Selman, 2000,