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Is Knowledge of (Normative) Racial Identity Development Necessary?: White Transracial Adoptive Parents' Intentions to Promote Black Adoptees’ Racial Identity

Pettis, Shardé B., M.A.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xupsy1617055421189483

Abstract Details

2021, Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, Psychology.
The prevalence of transracial adoptions of Black children by White parents in the United States is rapidly increasing, and currently the adoption of Black children by White parents is the most frequent transracial adoptee-parent combination (Lee, 2003; Marr, 2017). With the increase of transracial adoptions in the U.S., questions arise about White transracial adoptive parents’ capability to promote the racial-ethnic identity of their adopted Black child(ren), specifically with regard to their knowledge about how to promote the healthy racial-ethnic identity of racially diverse youth. The current study examined if White transracial adoptive parents’ knowledge of how racial-ethnic identity develops impacts their intentions to promote their adopted Black children’s racial-ethnic identity in the context of the theory of planned behavior. Caucasian parents (both mothers and fathers) who have adopted, or were in the process of adopting, Black or African American child(ren) (n = 199) completed measures examining their factual knowledge of normative racial-ethnic identity development and their attitudes, perceived subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions related to engaging in the racial-ethnic socialization process. Results revealed that parents’ knowledge of normative racial-ethnic identity development was negatively correlated with their intentions to engage in the racial-ethnic socialization of their Black child; however, parents’ intentions were positively correlated with their attitudes toward, subjective norms for, and perceived behavioral control of the racial-ethnic socialization of their adopted Black child(ren). Further, knowledge was not an incremental predictor of parents’ intentions to engage in the racial-ethnic socialization process beyond the components of the theory of planned behavior. Finally, results revealed that parents who perceived greater subjective norms for and greater behavioral control of racial-ethnic socialization reported greater intentions to promote the racial-ethnic identity of their adopted Black child(ren), and these relationships were particularly strong among parents with relatively low knowledge. These findings demonstrate that White transracial adoptive parents’ knowledge of racial-ethnic identity development may be neither necessary nor sufficient in predicting their intentions to engage in the racial-ethnic socialization process. Rather, parents’ attitudes toward, subjective norms for, and perceived behavioral control of the racial-ethnic socialization process are strong predictors of their intentions and, potentially, their actual behavior.
Tammy Sonnentag, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Stacy Raj, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Christian End, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
105 p.
Developmental Psychology; Psychology; Social Psychology
transracial adoption; adoption; racial-ethnic identity; racial-ethnic socialization; White transracial adoptive parent; Black adoptee; theory of planned behavior; attitudes; subjective norms; perceived behavioral control; knowledge

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Citations

  • Pettis, M.A., S. B. (2021). Is Knowledge of (Normative) Racial Identity Development Necessary?: White Transracial Adoptive Parents' Intentions to Promote Black Adoptees’ Racial Identity [Doctoral dissertation, Xavier University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xupsy1617055421189483

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Pettis, M.A., Shardé. Is Knowledge of (Normative) Racial Identity Development Necessary?: White Transracial Adoptive Parents' Intentions to Promote Black Adoptees’ Racial Identity . 2021. Xavier University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xupsy1617055421189483.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Pettis, M.A., Shardé. "Is Knowledge of (Normative) Racial Identity Development Necessary?: White Transracial Adoptive Parents' Intentions to Promote Black Adoptees’ Racial Identity ." Doctoral dissertation, Xavier University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xupsy1617055421189483

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

xupsy1617055421189483
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© 2021, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Xavier University Psychology and OhioLINK.