institutionalisation

Question 1

what is institutionalisation?

Answer 1

the psychological effects of being raised in an institutional setting such as an orphanage leading to a lack of attachment formation due to the inadequate emotional care provided

Question 2

key study - Rutter (2011)

Answer 2

• followed up 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain
• physical cognitive and emotional development assessed at ages 4, 6, 11 and 15
• 52 british children adopted around same time used as control group

Question 3

findings of the study

Answer 3

• half of adoptees showed delayed intellectual development and very malnourished when first arriving to uk
• those adopted before 6 months had an IQ of 102, between 6 months and 2 years was 86 and 77 for those adopted after 2 years stayed the same till age 16
• children adopted after 6 months showed disinhibited attachment (inc attention seeking clinginess etc) unlike those adopted before 6 months

Question 4

key study - Zeanah et al (2005)

Answer 4

• assessed attachment of 95 children ages 12 to 31 months who lived most of their lives in institutional care
• compared to control group of 50 who never lived in institution
• attachment measured by strange situation

Question 5

findings of study

Answer 5

• found 74% of control group came out as securely attached
• only 19% of institutional group were securely attached
• 65% classed as disorganised attachment

Question 6

effects of institutionalisation

Answer 6

disinhibited attachment - child equally friendly and affectionate to people they know and strangers
intellectual disability - child shows signs of retardation however after being adopted before 6 months they could up with control group by age 4. emotional development effects intellectual development