The effects of experiences of adoption, fostering or being in the care system on the executive functioning of young adults

Early life stressors are known to disrupt cognitive development. Evidence shows that experiences of being in care and being adopted can create difficulties in executive function. Despite evidence that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can impact executive function, little research has investigated the longer-term impacts of being adopted and care experienced, in adult populations. The present study investigated whether being an adoptee or care-experienced had a possible impact on executive functioning in adulthood. Seven care-experienced/adopted adult participants and thirty controls completed Stroop and N-Back tasks, measuring inhibitory control and working memory. Adopted and/or care-experienced adults showed slower reaction times in the Stroop task, indicating poorer inhibitory control. Findings indicated no effects on working-memory. The findings suggest that the impact of being in care and being adopted has a longer-term negative effect on inhibitory control into young adulthood. More research is needed considering the small and uneven sample sizes of this study.