The Relationships between Parental Locus of Control and Domestically Adopted Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Adjustment

Considering their experiences, adoptees may encounter more difficulties than their non-adopted peers, with post-adoption adjustment varying considerably depending on their age at adoption. This study uniquely examined parental locus of control (PLC) in parents of 224 domestically adopted children, its associations with children’s emotional and behavioral adjustment, and whether age-at-adoption moderated these relationships. Multiple regressions indicated that higher external PLC subscale scores predicted greater child adjustment difficulties. However, age-at-adoption did not moderate these associations, suggesting that the relationship between parental cognitions and adoptees’ adjustment is stable across adoption ages. Study limitations and implications are discussed, highlighting how interventions could support adoptive families.