Children's understanding of adoption.

200 adopted and nonadopted children, ranging in age from 4 to 13 years, were interviewed about their understanding of adoption. Both open-ended interview and structured Q sort procedures were used. Results indicated clear developmental trends in children's knowledge of the nature of the adoptive family relationship, as well as the motivational basis underlying adoption. Relatively few differences were found, however, between adopted and nonadopted children's knowledge of adoption. Results are discussed within the general context of children's acquisition of social knowledge. Implications of the findings for adoption policy and practice also are discussed.