Adoption studies - AO3

• One strength is they SUCCESSFULLY REMOVE THE EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES of the environment so the adopted individual does not share the same environment as their biological parents. Why is this a strength?

  Therefore, any similarities in behaviour must be due to their shared genes. This increases the validity of conclusions made about nature vs nurture
• One strength is that ADOPTION OCCURS NATURALLY so the psychologists simply track and measure behaviour. Why is this a strength?

  Therefore. adoption studies as a research method are ethical because there is no direct manipulation of the participant's behaviour
• One weakness is that agencies try and PLACE CHILDREN WITH FAMILIES SIMILAR TO THEIR BIRTH FAMILY (selective placement). Why is this a weakness?

  Therefore, the similar environmental; factors in the biological and adoptive families make it difficult to reach definitive conclusions about nature vs nurture reducing the validity
• One weakness is that PEOPLE WHO ADOPT TEND TO BE BETTER EDUCATED, have LOWER RISKS OF MENTAL ILLNESS and come from HIGH SOCIOECONOMIC groups. Why is this is a weakness?

  Therefore, the adoptive parents are unlikely to be representative of all parents in the population. This makes findings about the effects of genes or the environment on behaviours less generalisable thus reducing population validity