Attachment - Romanian Orphan Studies

Question 1

Define Institutionalisation

Answer 1

Term for the effects of living in an institutional setting. Often very little emotional care provided

Question 2

Rutter’s ERA stands for

Answer 2

Rutter’s English and Romanian Adoptee

Question 3

Outline studies into Romanian orphanages

Answer 3

Rutter’s ERA study

The Bucharest Early Intervention Project

Question 4

Outline procedure of Rutter’s ERA study

Answer 4

• 165 Romanian Orphans adopted into British families
• Physical, Cognitive and Emotional development measured at ages 4, 6, 11, 15
• 52 British children adopted around same time acted as control group

Question 5

Outline Findings of Rutter’s ERA study

Answer 5

• First arrived: showed signs of mental retardation
• Mean IQ of those adopted before age of 6 months was 102
• Mean IQ of those adopted after 2 years was 77
• Those adopted after 2 years showed signs of disinhibited attachment

Question 6

Outline the procedure of the Bucharest early intervention project

Answer 6

• 95 children aged 12-31 months who had been in care
• compared to control group of 50 children
• Strange situation used to measure attachment type

Question 7

Outline the findings of the Bucharest early intervention project

Answer 7

• 74% of control group = securely attached, only 19% on institutional group
• 65% of institutional group classified with disorganised attachment
• 44% of institutional group classified with disinhibited attachment

Question 8

Effects of Institutionalisation include:

Answer 8

• Disinhibited attachment

- Mental retardation

Question 9

Define Disinhibited attachment

Answer 9

Equally friendly and affectionate towards people they know well or strangers (don’t show stranger anxiety)

Question 10

Define Mental Retardation

Answer 10

Damage to intellectual development

Can be recovered if adoption takes place before age of 6 months

Question 11

Define Disorganised attachment

Answer 11

Inconsistent pattern of behaviour from children. Sometimes strong sometimes avoid

Question 12

Evaluate Romanian Orphan Studies

Answer 12

\+ Real life application 
\+ Fewer extraneous variables 
- Lacks generalisability 
- Ethical issues 
- Long term effects aren't clear

Question 13

Evaluate Romanian Orphan Studies:

+ Real life application

Answer 13

Enhanced our understanding of effects of institutionalisation
Improvements for how children are cared for
Valuable research

Question 14

Evaluate Romanian Orphan Studies:

+ Fewer extraneous variables

Answer 14

Previous orphan studies included children with multiple issues before institutionalisation. This research has less extraneous variables as fewer factors.
Increase internal validity

Question 15

Evaluate Romanian Orphan Studies:

- Lacks generalisability

Answer 15

So bad
May lack usefulness
Unusual situational variables

Question 16

Evaluate Romanian Orphan Studies:

- Ethical Issues

Answer 16

Randomly allocating children into conditions (families)

Question 17

Evaluate Romanian Orphan Studies:

- Long term effects unclear

Answer 17

Drawn conclusions too soon
Only checked into teens
As adults they may catch up
Could be invalid