1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«[T]he main objective of this study was to investigate the contributing factors to attachment security and social adjustment of children adopted by gay fathers by considering their relationship to both fathers.» (p. 250)

Questions/Hypothèses :
The authors «hypothesized that fathers’ sensitivity and child attachment security will be negatively correlated to internalizing and externalizing behavior symptoms.» (p. 251)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«A sample of 34 families, including 68 gay fathers and their 34 children, were recruited from across the province of Québec. […] To be eligible, men had to identify as gay, speak either French or English, and have at least one adopted child between 1 and 6 years of age living with them since at least 6 months. […] The fathers ranged in age from 30 to 54 years with a mean age of 39.87 years (SD = 5.43).» (p. 251)

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

Results show that «[f]athers’ sensitivity was significantly associated with attachment security […]. The fact that at least half of our sample of adoptive gay fathers were primary caregivers and that all fathers were highly involved in all kinds of childcare activities, including those generally performed by mothers (as primary caregivers), could account for this finding. High levels of involvement and sensitivity are critical in building secure attachment relationships to caregivers. Our study thus seems to support the integrative model of attachment relationships which postulates that child attachment is optimal in a network of secure relationships […]. However, contrary to our expectations, fathers’ sensitivity was not related to child behavior problems. One of the reasons why the association between internalizing symptoms and sensitivity among children of heterosexual parents was not replicated in our study may be that parents are not always good reporters of their child’s internalizing symptoms […]. Overall, the quality of adoptive gay fathers’ relationship with their child seems to be associated with their child’s socioemotional adjustment, but more attention needs to be paid to the quality of the attachment relationship children may develop in different family configurations such as in adoptive lesbian mother families.» (p. 261-262)