My MSc dissertation involved an original quantitative study examining whether optimism, self-compassion and perceived social support were associated with resilience among adoptive parents.

The study involved 85 adoptive parents and used validated psychological measures alongside quantitative statistical analysis, including Pearson correlations and multiple regression.

Key Findings

The analysis examined the relationships between optimism, self-compassion, perceived social support and resilience among adoptive parents.

The findings provided an opportunity to consider how psychological and social resources may relate to resilience within the context of adoptive parenting, while also highlighting the importance of interpreting findings within the methodological limitations of the study.

Conclusion

The research contributed to understanding resilience within adoptive families and demonstrated the application of psychological research methods to a real-world population and issue.

The project developed practical experience across the full research process, from research design and participant recruitment through to data screening, statistical analysis, interpretation and critical evaluation.

Research methods: Quantitative research | Research design | Participant recruitment | Data screening | Reliability assessment | Pearson correlation | Multiple regression | Statistical interpretation

Research area: Adoption | Resilience | Psychological wellbeing | Family support

Research output: MSc Psychology dissertation