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Vulnerable Populations

Examining Decision-Making in Young Adults Recently Emancipated from the Foster Care System

(PS8-93) Examining Decision-making in Young Adults Recently Emancipated from the Foster Care System

Saturday, November 16, 2024
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM EST
Location: Franklin Hall, Level 4, Marriott Downtown
Abstract Text:

Background: There are approximately 400,000 foster care children in the US (U.S. DHHS, 2022). Each year, approximately 21,000 foster youth who did not find a placement are emancipated, or “aged out,” of the foster care system. As newly minted adults, these former foster youth face many challenges, including mental health struggles, substance use, homelessness, crime involvement, unemployment, and poverty (Courtney et al., 2011; Geiger et al., 2016; Krinsky, 2010; Lenz-Rashid, 2018; Nho et al, 2017). Having experienced various disadvantages both growing up and as young adults, the decisions of former foster youth (FFY) are likely to affect their life outcomes, however, no research has focused on decision-making of FFY. Thus, the goal of this study was to compare decision-making and decision processes of FFY with same-aged youth without foster care experience using a behavioral economics task.

 

Methods: Participants were former foster youth aged 18 and 25 years old (n = 51) and a control group of the same age range, but without experience in the foster care system (n = 90). The entire study was conducted online. Participants completed an automated Ultimatum Game (UG), which used a realistic algorithm to mimic a live human partner; participants were made to believe that they were playing against a human partner. Participants played for “tokens,” which were converted into monetary payout. UG outcomes and behaviors were used to better understand FFY’s decision-making and perception of justness and fairness. Prior to the Ultimatum Game, participants created an avatar representing themselves; a randomly created avatar was displayed for their “partner.” Participants completed 10 rounds as a “proposer” and another 10 as a “receiver”; roles were assigned in random order. After the game, participants learned their winnings, and were asked to rank their partners on fairness, likeability, morality, and representation of both the general population and the participant’s friend group.

 

Results: Compared to same-aged peers who did not experience the foster care system, FFY were more suspicious of their partners and more likely to reject their offers (p < .001, OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.20-1.94). Interestingly, FFY had a more positive outlook on others: compared to controls, FFY were more likely to think that their partners were playing fair (p = .01), were likable (p = .02), moral (p = .01), and like most of their friends (p = .02). Additionally, while the outcome of the Ultimatum Game was similar for FFY and the control group, for FFYs, symptoms of depression had a negative effect. Thus, greater depression was associated with lower perception of partner’s fairness (p = .02); the association of anxiety with higher impulsivity fell above the significance cutoff (p = .053).

Conclusion: Study findings highlight the importance of addressing depressive and anxious symptoms in FFY, a vastly understudied and underserved population. Findings further point to the need for supporting decision-making of young people who are ageing out of the foster care system.