The Journal of pediatrics
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The Journal of pediatrics · Aug 1975
Studies of adoptees from psychiatrically disturbed biologic parents. II. Temperament, hyperactive, antisocial, and developmental variables.
Temperament, hyperactivity, antisocial behavior, and developmental milestones were assessed in two groups of adoptees by interviewing the adoptive parents. One group, the "experimental," was born of psychiatrically disturbed biologic parents (N = 59). The second group, the "control," had psychiatrically "normal" parents (N = 54). ⋯ Male "experimental" adoptees had excess number of temperament traits characteristic of the "difficult" child, as well as an excess of antisocial behaviors when contrasted with male control subjects. No differences between control and experimental females were found for these variables. Hyperactive behavior in the adoptees of each sex was associated more with antisocial parentage than in those of "normal" parentage.