Gretchen Wrobel, Ph.D.

Academics Faculty

Gretchen Wrobel, Ph.D.

Email: g-wrobel@bethel.edu

Job Titles

  • University Professor of Psychology
    Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
    Child and Adolescent Mental Health Certificate Graduate School
    Psychology (B.A.), College of Adult and Professional Studies

Highlight

Wrobel conducts research on curiosity as it affects relationships in adoption, including the adopted person, adoptive parents, and birth parents.

Started at Bethel

1988

Education

  • Hamline University - B.A. in Psychology, 1980
  • University of Minnesota - M.A. in Educational Psychology, 1984
  • University of Minnesota - Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, 1990

Awards

University Professor of Psychology, Bethel University

Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award, Bethel University

Edgren Scholar, Bethel University

Publications

Grotevant, H.D., Wrobel, G.M., Fiorenzo, L., Lo, A.Y.H., & McRoy, R.G. (2018) Trajectories of birth family contact in domestic adoption. Journal of Family Psychology, doi: 10/1037/fam0000449

Wrobel, G., Grotevant, H.D., Samek, D., Von Korff, L. (2013) Adoptees' curiosity and information seeking about birth parents in emerging adulthood: Context, motivation, and behavior. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 37(5), 443-452.

Grotevant, H.D., McRoy, R.G., Wrobel, G.M., & Ayers-Lopez, S. (2013). Contact between adoptive and birth families: Perspectives from the Minnesota-Texas Adoption Research Project. Child Development Perspectives, 7(3), 193-198. doi: 10.1111/cdep.12039

Wrobel, G. (2012). Understanding the adoptive family within the context of Christian hospitality. Dialog: A Journal of Theology, 51(4), 313-322. Invited paper.

Skinner-Drawz, B. A., Wrobel, G.M., Grotevant, H.D., & Von Korff, L. (2011). The role of adoption communicative openness in information seeking among adoptees from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Journal of Family Communication, 11,181-197.

Wrobel, G.M. & Neil, E. (Eds.). (2009). International advances in adoption research for practice. London: Wiley.

Presentations

Wrobel, G.M. (2018, July). The Adoption Curiosity Pathway: A process model for understanding adoption-related information seeking. In J. Vaugelade (Chair) Curiosity and search about origins or birth parents by domestic and international adoptees. Symposium conducted at the 6th International Conference on Adoption Research, Montreal, Canada.

Wrobel, G.M., Hook, C., Magnusson, S., Ruff, M., Nelson, T., Sybrant, S., & Thorison, M. (2018, July) Adopted mother's religious meaning regarding adoption. In E. Helder (Chair) The impact of religiosity and spirituality among members of the adoptive kinship network. Symposium conducted at the 6th International Conference on Adoption Research, Montreal, Canada.

Wrobel, G. M. (2016). Adoption related curiosity in emerging adulthood. Poster presentation conducted at the New Worlds of Adoption and Foster Care Conference: Thriving on the Frontline. Rudd Adoption Research Program, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA.

Wrobel, G., Carlson, V., Phillips, A., Ruff, M., & Grotevant, H. (2016, November). Profiles of contact between adoptive and birth family members across time. In B. Hepp (Discussant), Emerging Trends in Adoption Openness and Birth Family contact. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Minneapolis, MN.

Wrobel, G. M. (2013, November). Adoptees' curiosity and information seeking about birth parents in emerging adulthood: Context, motivation, and behavior. In L. LeMare (Chair) Explorations of family processes in adoptive families from childhood to adulthood. Symposium conducted at the 8th biennial meeting of the Society for the Study of Human Development, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Wrobel, G. M. (2013, April). The Adoption Curiosity Pathway for adopted young adults. In H. Grotevant (Chair) The Minnesota Adoption Research Project: Navigating contact from childhood into young adulthood. Invited symposium conducted at the New Worlds of Adoption Conference: Contact Between Adoptive and Birth Families: What works? University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA.

Wrobel, G.M. & Grotevant, H.D. (2010, July). Relational underpinnings of the Adoption Curiosity Pathway. In K. Rosenblum (Chair) Talking and growing together: Dynamics of adoptive family communication. Symposium conducted at the Third International Conference on Adoption Research, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Areas of expertise

Wrobel conducts research on curiosity as it affects relationships in adoption, including the adopted person, adoptive parents, and birth parents.