# DETERMINANTS OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO · 1994 · $169,859

## Abstract

The primary objective of the Colorado Adoption Project--a longitudinal,
prospective adoption study funded by NICHD from 1977 through 1993--is to
assess genetic and environmental influences on individual differences in
behavioral development among children.  The study includes biological
parents who relinquished their children for adoption at birth, parents
who adopted these children, matched 'control' (nonadoptive) parents, and
the children (probands and younger siblings) in these families.  Adults
were administered a 3-hour battery of behavioral tests that included
measures of the major factors of cognitive abilities and personality;
information pertaining to family background, common medical and
behavioral problems, interests and talents, and frequently used drugs
have also been obtained.  For the children, the assessments employ
standard tests of cognitive and language development,
personality/temperament, motor development, and health.  Environmental
assessments in the adoptive and control homes are emphasized.  The
adopted and control probands and their younger siblings are studied in
their homes at 1, 2, 3, and 4; in the laboratory at 7 and 12; and via
telephone interviews at 9, 10, and 11.

The proposed continuation of HD-10333 will culminate the assessment of
children in the Colorado Adoption Project during late adolescence.  The
adopted and control children will be interviewed at 13, 14, and 15 years
of age.  At 16 years of age, they will be administered the same test
battery that their parents completed over a decade and a half earlier.
During years 17-21 of HD-10333, the numbers of adopted and control
children who will have been studied at 13, 14, 15, and 16 years,
respectively, are 584, 561, 474, and 449.  Moreover, 180 older siblings
of these children will have been administered the adult-test battery.

Of the various methods available to study the origins of individual
differences in behavioral development, the full adoption design employed
in the Colorado Adoption Project is the most powerful.  The proposed
continuation of HD-10333, which will make it possible to reap the final
harvest from this landmark study, will substantially advance basic
research in child development and is likely to have important
implications for child-rearing practices, education, and mental health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2196711
- **Project number:** 5R01HD010333-18
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
- **SAM.gov UEI:** SPVKK1RC2MZ3
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN DEFRIES
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $169,859
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1977-04-01 → 1998-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2196711

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2196711, DETERMINANTS OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN (5R01HD010333-18). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2196711. Licensed CC0.

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