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A fresh look at genealogical bewilderment
Author(s) -
Humphrey Michael,
Humphrey Heather
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
british journal of medical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.102
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 2044-8341
pISSN - 0007-1129
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8341.1986.tb02677.x
Subject(s) - curiosity , psychology , quality (philosophy) , empirical evidence , developmental psychology , mental health , biological evolution , social psychology , epistemology , psychiatry , genetics , biology , philosophy
The concept of genealogical bewilderment is re‐examined in the light of empirical evidence gathered over the past 20 years. It is concluded that, where the quality of surrogate family relationships is sufficient to meet the child' emotional needs, then there is no reason why ancestral knowledge should be a prerequisite of mental health. It would appear that individuals with a spontaneous urge or sometimes even a compulsion to search for their biological relatives are not uncommonly suffering from emotional deprivation. However, this is not to deny the reality of healthy genetic curiosity in children cut off from their roots.