Effects of institutionalisation

Question 1

Aim of Rutters study

Answer 1

Investigate effects of institutionalisation in Romanian children in Romanian institutions

Question 2

What is Rutters procedure

Answer 2

Longitudinal/natural experiment
165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain followed up on to see if good care makes up for experiences in institutions
58 adopted before 6 months
59 adopted between 6 and 24 months
48 adopted after 2-4 years old
Physical, cognitive and emotional development tested at ages 4, 6, 11 and 15
Compared to control group of British children adopted before 6 months

Question 3

Findings of Rutters study

Answer 3

Romanian orphans lagged behind British babies at the time of adoption in all areas
Babies adopted before 6 months showed normal development
Children adopted after 6 months showed disinhibited attachments e.g low stranger anxiety/attention seeking from all adults

Question 4

Conclusion from Rutters study

Answer 4

Babies adopted before 6 months can recover from institutionalisation effects
Negative long term consequences after 6 month critical period due to institutionalisation

Question 5

Why is it good that Rutters study is a longitudinal study/counter(A03)

Answer 5

Decreases chance of extraneous variables e.g sleep affecting results when assessed at different ages
Increases internal validity

Children only assessed until 15 and still have potential for growth after 15 which limits researchers data/decreases internal validity(counter)

Question 6

Why is it good that Rutters study has real world application(A03)

Answer 6

Can be used to offer advice
Orphanages that allocate key carers per child act as role models/give advice to orphanages such as the ones in Romania
Improves infants quality of life
This then increases the chance of acquiring a job which benefits the economy

Question 7

Why is it good that Rutter used a large sample size of 165 orphans(A03)

Answer 7

Increases accuracy of results
Reduces effect of anomalous data
Increases internal validity
Makes it more generalisable

Question 8

Issues and debates for the effects of institutionalisation

Answer 8

Nomothetic vs ideographic
Research takes a nomothetic approach
Generalises effects of institutionalisation to all infants
Individual differences can affect the strength of effects
Should take an ideographic approach