Launching adoptees into adulthood: Mothers' and fathers' promotion of volitional functioning

In the psychological literature, there is growing evidence that parental support of children's volitional functioning is one of the most prominent protective factors during adolescence and the transition to adulthood. According to the Self-Determination Theory, children cope best with developmental tasks when they acquire a sense of self-governance and self-endorsed functioning. In the field of adoption research, however, the parental promotion of volitional functioning (PVF) and its relation to the adopted child's development are still underinvestigated. The present study involved 160 Italian internationally adopted adolescents and emerging adults and both their parents. It was aimed at examining the extent to which PVF, as reported by each family member, was related to the child's adoptive filiation. Overall, findings showed significant associations between maternal and paternal PVF and adoptive filiation that, however, varied according to the informant and to the child's gender and age. Results have been discussed in relation to the intervention with adoptive parents and children.