7.1.4 - Research into Privation Flashcards
1
Q
Define Privation
A
when an attachment between a child and primary caregiver is never formed and so none that a child can then be deprived of
2
Q
2 AO1 on privation
A
- children described as feral, found in the wild or domestic situations of serious abuse/neglect
- privation can have adverse effects on child’s social, emotional and intellectual development
3
Q
Koluchova (1972) - Czech twins
Describe - 8 points
A
- development was normal until they lost their mother shortly after they were born
- they placed in institution for a year, then with their aunt before returning to their dad and step mother at 18 months old (seemed to have normal development up until this point)
- father was often not at home and they were regulary beat and locked in a small dark room
- they were discovered age 7 - rickets, mentally retarded, scared of dark and other people, severely undernourished, little speech, development age of a 3 year old
- went to school for children with severe learning difficulties which helped physical development and after 2 yrs of rehabilitation were fostered by 2 sisters who gave exceptional care
- went to normal school
- by 11 had developed normal speech and by 15 had normal IQ
- they were both married, working, and were v happy
4
Q
Evaluation of the Koluchova Study
Strengths x3
A
- It is known that the twins were normal in their development when they left their aunt at age 18 months. Therefore when found later and found to be severely behind in their development it could be said to be due to privation as there was a baseline measure of development for which the twins could be compared to
- study was longitudinal and so the development of the twins was tracked over many years. Therefore conclusions could be drawn about the reversibility of privation eg as we found out that later in life the twins had stable jobs, got married and had their own children
- This case study had lots of detailed information gathered using a variety of methods eg IQ testing, interviewing and observations. Therefore the depth and detail suggests that the data is reliable as conclusions could be drawn using multiple sources of data
5
Q
Evaluation of the Koluchova Study
Weaknesses x3
A
- the boys had each other and so could attach to each other which may be why they were able to catch up and develop normally and the effects of privation were reversed. Therefore conclusions cannot be made that privation is reversible without the formation of an attachment
- It can never be completely known what life is like for the boys now as adults. Although they appeared happy and well-adjusted, they may have underlying anxieties and problems. Therefore we cannot fully conclude that the effects of privation are reversible if they are still suffering some potential adverse effects
- The boys will have formed an attachment with their aunt and perhaps others in the agency before returning to their dad and new step mother. Therefore the twins may have actually been suffering from deprivation rather than privation so the reversibility of privation cannot be determined
6
Q
Genie (Curtiss, 1977)
Case History x 8
A
- Her parents first daughter seemed healthy and normal but she cried a lot so her father put her in the garage so he wouldn’t have to listen to her and she died of pneumonia aged 2
- Genie was not very cuddly and resisted solid food and it was known that her father disliked her and didn’t let her mother pay her much attention
- at 14 months she became feverish and saw a paediatrician and a sleep spindle test showed possible signs of retardation, but this was hard to assess due to the fever
- genies father isolated her completely and she was locked away with little socialisation. nothing but a cot, a potty chair and cotton reels to play with. she was neglected and her father often beat her for making sounds.
- she was fed baby food and spent most of the day tied to the potty chair and on special occasions she was allowed to play with 2 plastic raincoats
- genies mother began to go blind and found it hard to speak and her brother imitated her father and did not speak to her
- when she was 13 her mother took her and left home and she sought help from the welfare office who called the police
- genie was fostered by the researchers involved in her care at the hospital but after funding ran out she was returned to her mother and finally into general foster care
7
Q
Genie (Curtiss, 1977)
Characteristics of Genie as a privated child
A
- she had severe physical and intellectual retardation - walked with a stoop and was almost entirely mute apart from a few utterances barely words
- she was severely under nourished and had stunted growth, couldnt chew and urinated in her clothing
- emotion was expressed inwardly eg anger by biting and scratching herself
- she showed progress - dress herself, use toilet independently, formed attachments with staff
- despite working with speech therapists, she never gained normal language
8
Q
Aim of Genie Study
A
to help genie and to see if a child over 13 could learn language after its critical (learning) period
9
Q
Procedure of Genie Study
x3
A
- observation, weekly interviews with genies mother (social desirability)
- daily doctor reports, video tapes and tape recordings
- psychological testing - observation and language tests
10
Q
Genie
Case Study Evidence x3
A
- Displayed awareness - understanding of numbers
- When tested she achieved 8-9yr old skills eg cleaning and bathing herself but in other areas she could only reach 2 yr old skill eg chewing
- could give the names of things but language was incomplete
11
Q
Genie
Case Study Analysis x3
A
- in Genie it was a natural experiment - she was deprived of stimulation until puberty - if she could learn language then it would be evidence against a critical period for language
- there was some language simulation in development but they didn’t know hoe much,
- she could learn some language but case supported idea of a critical period for ‘normal’ language development
12
Q
Evaluation of Genie’s Study
Strengths x3
A
- The case gathered a lot of information and the data about the effects of privation is rich, detailed and thorough. Both qualitative and quantitative data was gathered using many different research methods. Therefore the data is reliable as conclusions could be drawn using multiple sources of data to see if the privation Genie suffered would be reversible
- The study gave Genie a pseudonym so that she could not be recognised and the family could not be traced. Therefore the study was ethical as her privacy was able to be protected so that after the study she could live anonymously and not be bothered by journalists
- application to society?
13
Q
Evaluation of Genie’s Study
Weaknesses x3
A
- After being completely neglected until the age of 13 she was mute, unable to walk, dress or form attachments. Even with intensive care and rehabilitation, Genie never recovered from her initial privation as she never gained strong language skills and had difficulties walking. Therefore the reversibility of privation is questionable in this case.
- Genie was never able to learn language and form grammatical sentences. There was a suggestion that she had developmental problems in infancy supported by an abnormal sleep spindle test. Therefore we do not know if Genie would have developed normally with good socialisation and perhaps after being discovered she didn’t develop normally due to inherent problems rather than her experiences
- There are some ethical issues as Genie was subjected to a great deal of testing and questioning and researchers may not have treated her properly. Therefore due to Genies situation, it was easy for the researchers to take advantage as she would have struggled to give informed consent due to a lack of social understanding
14
Q
Hodges and Tizard
A
- examined the development of 65 children who had all spent time during first year of life in institutions
- some back to bio parents, some remained in institution and some adopted
- adopted fared better —> good quality care received overcame some of the effects of earlier privation
- bio - struggled with showing affection and had poor relationships/bonding
15
Q
Bulldog Banks Children:
A
- 6 children raised in concentration camps after losing parents - infrequent care from other prisoners - difficult ability to form attachment in that environment
- all but 1 went on to live normal lives and behaviour, 1 sought out psych help
- perhaps the bond to each other helped reduce effects of privation
