L8 - Institutional Care

Question 1

What is institutional care?

Answer 1

When a childs living arrangements are outside of the family. e.g. children’s homes, hospitals, hostels.

Question 2

What is deindividuation?

Answer 2

• Children raised in institutions can adopt the rules and norms of the institution, which could impair functioning and lead to a loss of personal identity. This is deindividuation.

Question 3

Studies of Romanian Orphans (Procedure)

Answer 3

• This study involves 165 Romanian children who spent their early lives in Romanian orphanages, and thus suffered from the effects of institutionalisation.
• The children were tested at ages 4,6,11 and 15 to assess their physical, cognitive and social development.
• Their progress was then compared to 52 British children adopted in the Uk before the age of six months.

Question 4

Studies of Romanian Orphans (Findings)

Answer 4

• At the time of adoption the Romanian orphans lagged behind their British counterparts on all measures of physical, cognitive and social development.
• By the age of 4 the Romanian children (adopted before the age of six months) had caught up with their British counterparts.
• However, individuals adopted after the age of six months still had significant deficits at age four.

Question 5

Studies of Romanian Orphans (Findings)

Answer 5

• This study suggests that if a child is adopted before the age of six months and receives sensitive parenting, the consequences may be less severe.
• However, if children are not adopted by six months then the consequences of institutionalisation are likely to be severe.

Question 6

Effects of Institutionalisation - Delayed Intellectual Development

Answer 6

• Children raised in institutions may have concentration problems and low IQ. They may also have delayed language development, meaning they struggle at school.

Question 7

Effects of Institutionalisation - Disinhibited Attachment

Answer 7

• Children may not know how to act towards strangers. They can be overly affectionate and attention seeking.

Question 8

Effects of Institutionalisation - Emotional Development

Answer 8

• Children may have difficulty managing their anger (e.g. more tantrums then others)

Question 9

Effects of Institutionalisation - Lack of Internal Working Model.

Answer 9

• May have difficulty interacting with peers and forming close relationships.
• As adults, they may struggle to parent their own children.

Question 10

Effects of Institutionalisation - Quasi Autism

Answer 10

• Although they may not be born with autism, they may show signs of it due to their upbringing.
• e.g. struggle to understand the meaning of social contexts, obsessional behaviours, reduced empathy.

Question 11

Effects of Institutionalisation - Delayed Physical Development

Answer 11

• Children in institutional cafe are usually physically small.
• Research has shown that a lack of emotional care rather than poor nourishment is the cause of ‘deprivation dwarfism’.