Attachment - Maternal deprivation - Rutter's study of English Romanian Adoptees Flashcards
Who were the participants of Rutter’s study of English Romanian Adoptees?
165 Romanian children who were adopted in the UK before the age of 3 1/2 years who all spent time in institutions.
Control group of 52 British children who had not lived in institutions who were adopted before 6 months of age.
What were the children assessed for in Rutter’s ERA study?
Physical development - (height, weight, size of head, brain structure)
Cognitive development - (attention, language, IQ)
Attachment type
What were the findings at adoption in Rutter’s ERA study?
Romanian orphans were smaller, weighed less and lagged behind British orphans on all measures.
What were the findings at age 4 in Rutter’s ERA study?
Nearly all Romanian orphans who were adopted before 6 months caught up by age 4.
What were the findings at age 11 in Rutter’s ERA study?
Romanian children showed better intellectual recovery the younger they were adopted. IQ: > 6 months: 102 6 months - 2 years: 86 After 2 years: 77
What were the overall findings of Rutter’s ERA study?
Those adopted after 6 months were much more likely to show disinhibited attachment, autistic-like qualities and poor mental functions.
For some children, deprivation can be made up for to some extent by later good quality care whereas others will persist with difficulties.
In conclusion, no children over 6 months should be left in an institution.
What are the confounding variables in Rutter’s ERA study?
Lack of nutrition
The ‘appeal of the child’
What are the real life applications of Rutter’s ERA study?
Improvements have been made in the way children are cared for in the institutions.
EG. orphanages now have smaller numbers of caregivers for each child so an attachment can be made. This gives the chance for the child to develop normal attachments and help avoid disinhibited attachments.
