Support Groups Among Adoptive Parents: The Promise of Virtual Reality Platforms

Overview: Virtual technology platforms have fundamentally changed the way people interact. However, research suggests that social service entities have been slow to assess the use of these platforms. This project examines the impacts of virtual reality platforms on information seeking effectiveness within an adoptive parent support group in one southeastern state.Proposal text: In recent years, there has been a proliferation in the use of virtual platforms to host support groups for a range of issues and populations (Miller et al., 2021). Primary research and systematic reviews of the literature suggest that virtual modalities can be an efficient and effective way to offer supports to clients, patients, and parents or caregivers in particular. One seminal function of these groups is to share information pertinent to group foci. Miller and colleagues (2018) have aptly asserted that support groups can be an invaluable tool for providing information to adoptive parents.
Despite the use of support groups within areas of child welfare, namely post-adoptive services, research in this area has not kept pace (Miller et al., 2018), specifically as it relates to the deployment of virtual reality technology approaches. A review of pertinent scholarly databases revealed no published studies on the topic. This paper addresses some of the limitations in current literature
The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of an adoptive parent support group delivered via virtual reality technology, and examine the relationship between these perceptions and information seeking effectiveness among group participants (N = 42). Using Davis’ (1989) Technology Acceptance Model as a guiding theoretical framework, this study sought to assess the virtual reality platform and aspects of the platform that predict information seeking effectiveness.
To answer these queries, researchers collected data at the end of the 10 week pilot period of an adoptive parent support group piloted in one southeastern state. The initial pilot of the program took place during Fall 2021/Winter 2022. The program was facilitated by two seasoned adoptive parents trained in virtual reality technology. Primary data were collected using several standard metrics.
Overall, participants in the group agreed that the virtual reality platform was a useful and flexible tool for implementing the support group. Additionally, participants perceived that the platform facilitated a high-level of group interaction and participants were satisfied with group membership. Participants in this study also perceived that the platform provided an effective means of receiving information – information seeking effectiveness was the highest rated variable of those included in the study. Interestingly, several other variables, including satisfaction, management of caregiver stress, and caregiver competence were improved when the support group was delivered via the virtual reality platform, when compared to more traditional models.
This study contributes to the knowledge base and uniquely addresses limitations in the current literature. In addition, data from this study has the potential to inform virtual reality intervention conceptualization, implementation, and evaluation in adoption support, specifically, and in social services, more broadly. Participants who engage in this presentation will: (a) understand the potential for virtual reality technology in proffering services; (b) understand the wide-array of virtual platforms that can be used for social services, and the relationship between these platforms and information-seeking effectiveness; (c) experience a virtual reality approach to supper group implementation; and, (d) understand findings related to this evaluative effort and use those findings to inform virtual program offerings.