Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale (TAPS)

Abstract

The Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale (TAPS) is a comprehensive psychological scale designed to measure the attitudes and planned behaviors of non-minority parents who have adopted children of a different race or ethnicity. Developed by Massatti and Vonk (2004), TAPS assesses the level of cultural competence demonstrated by these parents, particularly regarding racial socialization and cultural maintenance efforts. The scale consists of 36 items categorized into six distinct factors that capture various dimensions of engagement, awareness, and avoidance related to race and culture within the adoptive family unit.

TAPS is crucial for researchers and clinicians working in the field of transracial adoption, providing a standardized tool to evaluate parental readiness and ongoing efforts to support the adopted child’s ethnic identity and ability to cope with prejudice.

Keywords

Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale, TAPS, cultural competence, racial socialization, ethnic identity, parental attitudes, adoption, prejudice, survival skills.

Authors

R. R. Massatti, M. E. Vonk, T. K. Gregoire

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale (TAPS) is to quantify the degree to which non-minority adoptive parents engage in behaviors and hold attitudes that promote the cultural and racial development of their minority children. It specifically aims to measure parental effectiveness in preparing children for potential experiences of racism and discrimination, while simultaneously fostering a strong sense of ethnic identity and cultural heritage.

The scale provides a nuanced measure of parental strategies, moving beyond simple self-reports of “colorblindness” to evaluate specific actions related to cultural planning, racial awareness, and the development of coping mechanisms for societal bias.

Construct

The TAPS measures parental cultural competence within the context of transracial adoption. This construct is operationalized through six distinct subscales that reflect different dimensions of parental engagement. The underlying theory posits that effective transracial parenting requires proactive engagement with race and culture, rather than minimizing or ignoring racial differences.

The scale contrasts positive, proactive strategies (such as Multicultural Planning and Racial Awareness) with potentially detrimental attitudes (Negative Attitudes subscale) that may hinder the child’s development of a robust ethnic identity or their ability to handle racial adversity.

Validity

The validity of the TAPS was established through rigorous psychometric testing, notably reported by Massatti, Vonk, and Gregoire (2004). Content validity was ensured through expert review and alignment with established theories of racial socialization and cultural competence. Construct validity was supported by factor analysis, which confirmed the hypothesized six-factor structure.

Furthermore, criterion-related validity was demonstrated by examining the relationship between TAPS scores and other relevant psychological constructs related to parenting outcomes in transracial adoption. The factors successfully discriminate between parents who actively seek out cultural resources and those who display more passive or avoidant approaches to racial issues.

Reliability

The reliability of the TAPS was assessed primarily using internal consistency measures, specifically Cronbach’s Alpha, across its six subscales (Massatti & Vonk, 2004). The reliability coefficients indicate generally good to acceptable internal consistency for most factors:

• Multicultural Planning with No Contact (MPNC): 0.88 (Excellent)
• Multicultural Planning with Contact (MPC): 0.77 (Good)
• Negative Attitudes (NA): 0.82 (Good)
• Racial Awareness (RA): 0.68 (Acceptable)
• Multicultural Planning with Integration (MPI): 0.67 (Acceptable)
• Survival Skills (SS): 0.65 (Acceptable)

These reliability figures suggest that the items within each factor consistently measure the intended underlying parental construct.

Factor Analysis

The TAPS is structured around six empirically derived factors identified through factor analysis. These factors represent distinct dimensions of parental engagement in transracial socialization:

• Multicultural Planning with No Contact (MPNC): Focuses on providing the child with cultural resources that do not necessarily involve direct contact with individuals from the child’s birth culture (e.g., books, toys, learning history, celebrating ethnic holidays).
• Multicultural Planning with Contact (MPC): Measures the parent’s efforts to establish relationships and community connections for the child with people from the child’s birth culture or race (e.g., seeking out same-race friends, mentors, or service providers).
• Multicultural Planning with Integration (MPI): Reflects the parent’s commitment to living in integrated or multicultural environments (e.g., choosing diverse schools or neighborhoods).
• Racial Awareness (RA): Assesses the parent’s self-reflection and personal awareness regarding race, prejudice, and their own motivation for engaging in transracial adoption.
• Survival Skills (SS): Measures the parent’s commitment to actively teaching the child about the realities of prejudice, bias, and discrimination, and providing coping strategies.
• Negative Attitudes (NA): Captures attitudes that minimize the importance of racial differences, avoid discussions of race, or rely on “colorblind” approaches, which are generally viewed as detrimental to the child’s development in this context.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Psychological Scale

Format: 36 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 = Strongly Disagree to 6 = Strongly Agree.

Language Available: English (Original research conducted in English).

Population Group: Adoptive Parents

Age Group: Adults (specifically non-minority parents of adopted minority children).

Population Details: Non-minority individuals who have adopted children of a different race or culture. The original validation sample focused on parents involved in the US adoption system.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement with statements concerning their attitudes, planned behaviors, and efforts related to their child’s racial and cultural upbringing.

Keywords

Cultural competence, racial socialization, parenting scale, adoption, ethnic identity, racial awareness, multicultural planning, parental attitudes, research instrument.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in the source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in the source material.

Correspondence Address: Refer to the primary publications by Massatti, Vonk, and Gregoire (2004) for correspondence details.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale (TAPS) was first published and validated in 2004. Information regarding specific usage fees or formal copyright permissions for clinical use should be sought directly from the primary authors (Massatti or Vonk). The instrument is available for research purposes, and the publication detailing the scale can be accessed via ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228058632.

Reference’s

The development and application of the TAPS are documented in the following academic sources:

• Vonk, M. E. (2001). Cultural competence for transracial adoptive parents. Social Work, 46, 246-255.
• Massatti, R. R., Vonk, M. E., & Gregoire, T. K. (2004). Reliability and Validity of the Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale. Research on Social Work Practice, 14(1), 43-50.
• Mohanty, J., Keokse, G., & Sales, E. (2006). Family Cultural Socialization, Ethnic Identity, and Self-Esteem. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 15(3-4), 153-172.
• Massatti, Vonk, & Gregorie. (2004). Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale (TAPS). In Fischer, Joel., & Corcoran, Kevin J. (2007). Measures for Clinical Practice and research: A sourcebook. (4th ed.). NY. Oxford University Pr. Vol. 1, Page (s): 415-418.
• Vonk, M. E., & Massatti, R. R., (2008). Factors Related to Transracial Adoptive Parents’ Levels of Cultural Competence. Adoption Quarterly, 11(3), 204-226.

Items of the Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale (TAPS)

Response Format: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Moderately Disagree, 3 = Slightly Disagree, 4= Slightly Agree, 5= Moderately Agree, 6= Strongly Agree

Factor Groupings (Massati and Vonk, 2004):

• MPNC (Multicultural Planning with No Contact): Items 6, 7, 14, 17, 19, 23, 28, 36
• MPC (Multicultural Planning with Contact): Items 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 29, 32
• MPI (Multicultural Planning with Integration): Items 25 and 31
• RA (Racial Awareness): Items 15, 16, 22, 34
• SS (Survival Skills): Items 5, 12, 27
• NA (Negative Attitudes): Items 3, 8, 11, 13, 18, 20, 21, 24, 26, 30, 33, 35

Scale Items:

1. I want to help my child establish relationships with children from his or her birth culture.
2. It is a high priority for me to encourage my child to seek support and advice from adults of his or her race about coping with prejudice.
3. Paying no attention to racial differences between my child and myself makes me a better parent.
4. It is a high priority to seek out service providers in my community, such as doctors or dentists, who are of my child’s race or ethnicity.
5. I need to teach my child a variety of coping strategies from which to choose when faced with prejudice or bias.
6. Providing my child with opportunities to learn the history of the people of his or her race is a high priority.
7. I feel I must provide my child with opportunities to learn the language or dialect of this or her birth culture.
8. It is very important to wait for my child to indicate that race is an issue for him or her before initiating a discussion on the topic.
9. Helping my child feel a sense of belonging within a community of people from his or her birth culture makes me a better parent.
10. I want to help my child establish relationships with adults from his or her birth culture.
11. I think that young children do not notice racial differences unless adults point them out.
12. I think it is very important to educate my child about the realities of prejudice, bias, and discrimination.
13. I know that prejudice and discrimination exist, but there are more important things about which to teach my child.
14. It is very important to include traditions from my child’s birth culture, such as ethnic holidays, in my family celebrations.
15. Awareness of my feelings and attitudes about my child’s birth culture and race is crucial.
16. Examination of my motivation for adopting a child of a different race or culture is very important.
17. It is important for me to provide opportunities for my child to visit his or her community or country of birth.
18. I think that coping with prejudice or racism is the same as coping with other problems.
19. Helping my child feel pride in his or her racial heritage is a high priority.
20. I believe that I can prevent problems related to racial differences by providing love to my child.
21. I do not believe that racial and cultural differences create significant additional parental responsibilities.
22. It is very important for me to examine my feelings about interracial dating and marriage.
23. Books, toys, and dolls that reflect the race of my child are very important for my family.
24. It is very important that I rely primarily on my own prior experiences when helping my child cope with race related teasing or prejudice.
25. It is crucial that I place my child in multicultural schools.
26. I believe that it matters little what others think about my child’s race as long as I love him or her.
27. I believe that it is very important that my child recognize racism.
28. I want to provide my child with opportunities to appreciate the fine arts, such as music and dance, of his or her birth culture.
29. Seeking support and advice from adults or parents of my child’s race about dealing with prejudice is a high priority.
30. I believe that my child and I will make too much of racism if we develop a sensitivity to it.
31. I want my family to live in an integrated neighborhood with neighbors who reflect the race of my child.
32. It is very important for me to develop friendships with families and individuals of my child’s heritage.
33. I think it is best to simply ignore insensitive remarks from strangers about my child.
34. It is important for me to remember that others may view my family as different.
35. I believe that discussions of racial differences with my child may do more harm then good.
36. Providing my child with opportunities to learn values and traditions of his or her birth culture is a high priority.