Attachment - romanian orphans

Question 1

institutionalisation

Answer 1

effects of living under state care for a long time with little emotional care (negative impacts on development)

Question 2

1990 Romania

Answer 2

banned abortion and contraceptives meant people were abandoning newborns, leaving 170,000 orphans on privation. being malnourished and abused

Question 3

Rutter et al (1998-2011)

Answer 3

longitudinal, natural study of 165 romanian orphans adopted into british families. varying ages at adoption

Question 4

Rutter’s method

Answer 4

grouped by age when adopted.
groups: under 6 months, 6 months-2 years, over 2 years
control group with no privation (52 british adoptees)
each group assessed at ages 4, 6, 11 and 15

Question 5

Rutter’s findings

Answer 5

age 6:
- disinhibited attachment (overly friendly to strangers)
- more common in those adopted after 2 years old
age 11:
- over 1/2 that displayed disinhibited attachment at 6 still displayed those traits
- 77 IQ after 2 years, 102 IQ under 6 months
- if adopted after 6 months then showed delayed physical, emotional and intellectual development
age 15:
- intellectual problems continue

Question 6

Rutter’s conclusions

Answer 6

privation has severe, long lasting effects but age of adoption impacts recovery heavily.
even children that were adopted after 2 years could still recover if given correct care

Question 7

Zeanah et al (2005)

Answer 7

95 children, 12-31 months that had spent 90% of their lives in institutional care.
compared to control group of 50 children. measured attachment by strange situation

Question 8

Zeanah’s findings

Answer 8

74% control group securely attached
19% orphans securely attached
44% institutionalised disinhibited attachment
20% control group disinhibited
65% institutionalised disorganised attached

Question 9

strengths of romanian orphan studies

Answer 9

+ practical applications - changed policies in orphanages and adoption
+ support Bowlby’s internal working model
+ challenge Bowlby’s critical period. It’s a sensitive period and the damage is not irreversible
+ supporting evidence - Goldfarb (1947):
compared adoption after 3 years and 6 months. early fostering = higher IQ and social skills, showing institutionalisation can be reversed

Question 10

weaknesses of romanian orphan studies

Answer 10

• children weren’t randomly selected for adoption - parents selected them. bias towards children that were more sociable at younger age.