Community Attitudes Toward Adoption in Italy: The Role of Stereotypes and Emotional Reactions

Abstract

The article explores the attitudes toward the adoption of a representative sample of the Italian population. Focusing on the sociodemographic factors, stereotypes, and feelings about adoption, this study investigates whether and to what extent they can shape attitudes toward adoption. A large sample of 1,003, Italian adults was used in the study. The participants were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire. A series of hierarchical regression models were conducted to examine the relative contributions of factors to explain the Italian's perception of the adoptive family. Results suggest that cognitive and affective processes may significantly contribute to explaining the community's attitudes toward adoption.