ABSTRACT This study utilized Relational Dialectics Theory 2.0 to examine how adult adoptees constructed the meaning of the term parent following contact with a birth parent. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 adult adoptees who had made contact with a birth parent. Two primary discourses emerged. The discourse of parent as a specific person (DPSP) emerged when participants felt that parent referred exclusively to their adoptive parents; the definition did not change when participants made contact with their birth parent. The discourse of parent as a label (DPL) emerged when participants defined parent as a flexible role that could be filled by multiple people; their definition of parent changed only after making contact with their birth parent, and they included their birth parent in their definition of parent. These discourses demonstrated interplay through negating, countering, and entertaining. The results of this study add to the literature on adoptive family communication and Relational Dialectics Theory.

中文翻译：

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“遇见她，改变了一切”：成年被收养人在出生父母接触后对“父母”含义的话语建构

摘要这项研究利用关系辩证法理论2.0来研究成年被收养人与亲生父母接触后如何建构“父母”一词的含义。对与亲生父母接触过的30位成年收养者进行了半结构化访谈。出现了两种主要的论述。当参与者感到父母专门指他们的养父母时，便出现了父母作为特定人的论述。当参与者与其亲生父母接触时，定义没有改变。当参与者将父母定义为可以由多个人担任的灵活角色时，便出现了以父母为标签（DPL）的论述。他们对父母的定义只有在与亲生父母取得联系后才发生变化，并且他们将亲生父母包括在父母的定义中。这些话语通过否定，反击和娱乐表现出相互作用。这项研究的结果增加了关于收养家庭传播和关系辩证法理论的文献。