Effects of Institutionalisation -Romanian Oprhan Studies Flashcards
What is institutionalisation?
The effects of living in an institutional setting. Where children live for long, continuous period of time. Very little emotional care
What are the 7 effects of institutionalisation?
-physical development
-low IQ
-disinhibited attachment
-poor parenting
-emotional functioning
-lack of internal working model
-quasi-autism
Physical development
Children in institutionalised care are usually physically small. Lack of emotional care rather than poor nourishment is the cause I’d what has been calls developmental dwarfism
Low IQ
Children in institutional care often show signs of intellectual disability disorder as identified by Bowlby
Disinhibited Attachment
Form of insecure attachment when children are equally friendly and affectionate towards people they know well and strangers.also attention seeking and clingy. It’s an adaption to living with multiple caregivers during sensitive period of attachment.
Poor parenting
Study by Quinton et al compared a group of 50 women who has been reared in institutions with a control group of 50 women reared at home. When the women were in their 20s it was found that the ex-institutionalised women had extreme difficulties parenting
Emotional functioning
Children in institutional care sometimes show affectionless psychopathy as identified by Bowlby and are more likely to have temper tantrums
Lack of internal working model
Children in institutional care sometimes have difficulties interacting with peers and forming close relationships
Quasi-autism
Children in institutional care sometimes have difficulty understanding the meaning of social contexts and may display obsessional behaviours
What are the differences between institutional care and family care. Institutional care factors?
-No attachment figure
-Bored
-Not cared for well
-Less sociable and interactions
-Fewer toys
What are the differences between institutional care and family care. Family care factors?
-strong emotional attachment
-well stimulated
-cared for well
-lots of socialising and interactions
-more toys
What are orphan studies?
Concern children placed in care (parents wither died or abandoned them)
What was the opportunity that arose to study institutionalisation?
Romania in the 1990s President Nicolas Ceaucescu required Romanian women to have 5 children. Many couldn’t afford to keep their children so needed up in huge orphanages in very poor conditions
What was the sample in Rutter et al (2011) study
Followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain
What was the intent of Rutter et al (2011) study?
To test to what extent good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions.
What was the background of the orphans in Rutter et al (2011) study?
Spent their early years in Romania institutions so suffered the effects of institutionalisation
When were the orphans adopted in Rutter et al (2011) study?
111 adopted before the age of 2 and 54 by the age of 4
What were the orphans assessed on in Rutter et al (2011) study?
Physical, cognitive and emotional development assessed at ages 4,6,11 and 15 years. Information was also gathered from interviews with parents and teachers
What was the control group in Rutter et al (2011) study?
A group of 52 children adopted around the same time. They were adopted before the age of 6 months.
At the time of the adoption how were the Romania orphans compared to their British counterparts in Rutter et al (2011) study?
They lagged behind. They were smaller, weighed less and showed signs of intellectual disability disorder. By 4years old some had caught up with their British counterparts it was true for all orphans adopted before 6months
At age 11 the adopted children showed what in Rutter et al (2011) study?
Differential rates of recovery that were related to their age of adoption.
What was the mean IQ of those adopted in Rutter et al (2011) study?
Mean IQ of those adopted before 6 months was 102.
86 for those adopted between 6-months and 2 years
77 for those adopted after 2 years.
This remained at age 16
What types of attachment did those show adopted after they were 6 months in Rutter et al (2011) study?
Disinhibited attachment. Symptoms were attention-seeking, clinginess, social behaviour directed indiscriminately towards adults
What types of attachment did those show adopted before they were 6 months in Rutter et al (2011) study?
Rarely displayed disinhibited attachment
What is further evidence for Rutter et al (2011) study?
Zeanah et al (2005)
What was the sample of Zeanah et al (2005)?
95 children aged 12-31 months who has spent most of their lives in institutional care
What was the control group in Zeanah et al (2005)?
50 children who have never lived in an institution
What was the procedure in Zeanah et al (2005)?
Attachment type was measured using the strange situation. Carers were asked about unusual social behaviour, including clingy, attention-seeking behaviour directed inappropriately at adults.
What were the results of Zeanah et al (2005)?
-74% of the control group had security attached in the strange situation
-19% of the institutionalised group were securely attached, 65% classified wit disorganised attachment.
-Disinhibited attachment applied to 44% of institutionalised children compared to less than 20% of the Corel
What was the conclusion of Zeanah et al (2005)?
Suggests that long-term consequences may be less serve than it was once thought if children have the opportunity to form attachment. When children don’t form attachment, then the consequences are likely to be serve
What are the finding of Le Mare and Audet (2006)?
The adopted orphans were physically smaller than the matched control group at age 4 and 1/2 years. This difference by 10 and 1/2 disappeared.
What was the brief overview of Le Mare and Audet (2006)?
Finding from a longitudinal study of 36 Romanian orphans adopted to families in Canada. The DV was physical growth and health
What was the conclusion for Le Mare and Audet (2006)?
Appears that children can recover and it may be slower development rather than irreversible damage.
