MDT Institution and Childhood

Question 1

Bowlbys Theory Of Maternal Deprivation

Answer 1

Bowlby proposed that prolonged emotional deprivation would have long term consequences in terms of the childs emotional development

Question 2

44 Juvenile Thieves Aim

Answer 2

To determine whether there is a correlation between maternal deprivation in infancy and adolescent delinquency.

Question 3

44 Juvenile Thieves Procedure

Answer 3

Bowlby analysed the case histories of 88 maladjusted children attending the Child Guidance Clinic. Half of these children had been caught stealing (the 44 thieves). Bowlby classified 14 of the 44 thieves as affectionless psychopaths. They lack normal signs of affection shame or sense of responsible.

Question 4

44 Juvenile Thieves Results

Answer 4

86% of the affectionless thieves had experienced early frequent separations from their mothers compared to 17% of the other thieves. 39% of all the thieves had experienced early separations. Bowlby suggested the long-term consequences of deprivation was emotional maladjustment and even mental health problems

Question 5

44 Juvenile Thieves Conclusion

Answer 5

Bowlby concluded that there is a correlation between maternal deprivation in infancy and subsequent criminal behaviour in adolescence.

Question 6

The Value of Maternal Care

Answer 6

Spitz and wolf observed how 100 children placed in institutions quickly because severed depressed.

Shodak and Skeels found institionalised children scored poorly on intelligence tests but showed an improvement of almost 30 points when cared for by inmates in a different institution.

Bowlby argued a ‘warm, intimate and continuous relationship’ with a mother is vital for mental health.

Question 7

Critical Period of Maternal Deprivation

Answer 7

Separation from the primary caregiver will only lead to emotional disturbance if it occurs before the age of about two and a half years and if there is no mother substitute available.

Question 8

Maternal Deprivation Evaluation:

Support for long term effects

Answer 8

Bigulco et al found women who had been separated from their mothers as children were more likely to experience depression or anxiety disorders (25%) compared to women who had no experience of separation(15%) Mental Health Problems were much greater in women whose loss occurred before the age of 6

Question 9

Maternal Deprivation Evaluation:

Research had a significant impact on post-war childrearing practices

Answer 9

Before Bowlby research, children were separated from their parents during hospital stays with visiting being discouraged or forbidden.

Robertson and Bowlby filmed 2 year old Laura over an 8 day stay in hospital during which she showed frequent distress and begged to go home.

Question 10

Maternal Deprivation Evaluation:

Emotional separation can also have a damaging effects

Answer 10

Radke-Yarrow et al studied severely depressed mother who were physically present but unable to provide suitable emotional care. 55% of the children were insecurely attached compared with 29% of children with non-depressed mothers

Question 11

Maternal Deprivation Evaluation:

Securely attached children cope better with separation

Answer 11

Bowlby et al studied 60 children below the age of 4 who had experienced prolonged hospital stays due to TB. Children had recieved poor substitute care from nurses and only one family visit a week.
As adolescents 63% were judged to be more maladjusted than ‘normal’ children. Those children with secure attachments were more resilient and so coped better with deprivation.

Question 12

Maternal Deprivation Evaluation:

Deprivation Versus Privation

Answer 12

Rutter claimed Bowlby did not make it clear whether the child had formed an attachment that was subsequently broken or if they had never formed an attachment in the first place.

Rutter argues privation has potentially far more serious consequences than deprivation

Question 13

Define Deprivation

Answer 13

Loss of an attachment

Question 14

Define Privation

Answer 14

Lack of an attachment

Question 15

Romanian Orphan Studies: Effects of Institutionalisation

Answer 15

In the past, institutions offered little emotional care. Today many institutions strive to avoid this. However, in some countries limited resources mean it is still not possible to offer a good standard of emotional care.

Question 16

Rutter and Sonuga-Barke 2010 Procedure

Answer 16

165 children who had spent their early lives in Romanian institutions were either adopted before the age of two ( 111 children ) or adopted by he age of four (54 children).

Physical, cognitive and social development were tested at 4,5,11 and 15 years old. They were compared to a control group of 52 British children adopted before the age of 6 months

Question 17

Rutter and Sonuga-Barke 2010 Findings

Answer 17

At the time of adoption, Romanian children were behind on all developmental measure. By 4 years of age almost all of the early adopted substantial minority of the late adoptees. Many showed disinhibited attachments and had problems with peers. Forming attachments may make long-term consequences less severe.

Question 18

Canadian Studies of Romanian Orphans

Answer 18

At four and a half years of age Romanian infants adopted by Canadian families were physically smaller and had poorer physical health than a matched control group. However these difference disappeared by ten and a half years.

Question 19

Zeanah Et Al Studies of Romanian Orphans

Answer 19

Compared 136 Romanian orphans who had spent on average 90% of their lives in an institute to a control group of Romanian children who had never been institutionalised. The instiutionalised children showed signs of disinhibited attachments

Question 20

Effects of Institutionalisation

Answer 20

Physical underdevelopment: Lack of emotional Care has been found to be the cause of deprivation dwarfism

Intellectual under-functioning: Skodak and Skeels found institutionalised children scored poorly on intelligence tests.

Disinhibited attachment: A Form of insecure attachment characterised by over friendliness with strangers and attention seekers.

Poor parenting: Women reared in institutions experienced more difficulties acting as parents

Question 21

Studies on Effects of Institutionalisation Evaluation:

Value Of Longitudinal Studies

Answer 21

By following the development of adopted children it is possible to determine whether the major effects of early institutional care disappear with sufficient time and high quality care

Question 22

Studies on Effects of Institutionalisation Evaluation:

Research has been used to improve the lives of children in such care

Answer 22

Romanian orphan research highlights the importance of early adoption before the sensitive period for attachment formation.

Singer et al showed early adopted infants are just as securely attached to their adopted mother as non-adopted infants

Question 23

Studies on Effects of Institutionalisation Evaluation:

Institutionalisation may just be slow development

Answer 23

It may be that the effects of instutionalisation disappear over time if good quality emotional care is provided. Development may continue beyond the time period and so effects may not be irreversible as research suggests.

Question 24

Studies on Effects of Institutionalisation Evaluation:

Deprivation is only one factor

Answer 24

The Romanian orphans also experienced poor physical poor physical conditions and the lack of cognitive stimulation impacted on their health and development. Damage may only occur when multiple risk factors are experienced

Question 25

Studies on Effects of Institutionalisation Evaluation:

Individual differences

Answer 25

Rutter suggests some of the children may have received special attention in the institution, perhaps because they smiled more, meaning they did have some early attachment experiences.

Question 26

Define Institutionalisation

Answer 26

The effect of institutional care, especially how time spent in an institution such as an orphanage can affect the development of children.

Possible effects include social, mental and physical underdevelopment. Some of these effects may be irreversible.

Question 27

The Influence of early attachment

Answer 27

Primary attachment quality is positively correlated with the quality of later relationships.

Question 28

Define Internal Working Model

Answer 28

A Mental Model of the World Which enables individuals to predict and control their environment. In the case of attachment the model relates to a persons expectations about relationships

Question 29

The Role Of The Internal Working Model

Answer 29

Interaction with the primary attachment figure teaches the what relationships are and how people in relationships treat each other. This forms the internal working model, which can predict the behaviour of other people in the future.

Question 30

Hazan and Shaver - Love Quiz Study : Aim

Answer 30

Hazan and Shaver (1987) studied relationships to find out whether romantic love among adults shows the same attachment styles as those found between children and their parents, in terms of being secure or insecure.

Question 31

Hazan and Shaver - Love Quiz Study : Procedure

Answer 31

205 men and 415 women responded to a love quiz placed in an American news publication asking about current attachment experience, attachments in childhood and attitudes towards love.

Question 32

Hazan and Shaver - Love Quiz Study : Results

Answer 32

Attachment classifications were similar to infants:
56% secure attached,
25% insecure-avoidant,
19% insecure-resistant.

Securely attachmed adults described their love experiences as happy and trusted, having longer lasting relationships than insecure-avoidant and insecure-resistant. Securely attached adults tended to have a positive internal working model

Question 33

Childhood Friendships influenced by internal working model.

Answer 33

The Minnesota child-parent study found securely attached infants were rated highest for social competence, were less isolated, more popular and empathetic as children.
Their internal working model provided higher expectations that others would be friendly and trusting, leading to easier relationship.

Question 34

Poor parenting influenced by internal working model

Answer 34

Haslow found that infant monkeys removed from their mother had later difficulties caring for their own offspring.

Quinton et al showed the same is true for humans.

Question 35

Romantic Relationships influenced by internal working model

Answer 35

Securely attached individuals tended to have a positive internal working model leading to longer, more satisfying relationships.

Question 36

Mental Health influenced by internal working model

Answer 36

The DSM now recongises attachment disorder as a psychiatric condition. Individuals show no preferred attachment figure, an inability to interact and relate to others evident before the age of 5. Experience of extreme neglect or frequent change of caregiver has led to a lack of an internal working model.

Question 37

Influence of early attachment Evaluation:

Support from longitudinal studies

Answer 37

Simpson support Hazan and Shavers findings. Participants assessed as securely attached at 1 year of age were rated at having higher social competence as childern, being closer to their friends at 16 and were more expressive and emotionally attached to their romantic partners in early adulthood

Question 38

Influence of early attachment Evaluation:

Research is correlation so cause and effect is not established

Answer 38

Both attachment type and later love-style could be due to innate temperament. An infants temperament may affect the way a parent responds which determines their attachment type and may also explain issues with relationships later in life.

Question 39

Influence of early attachment Evaluation:

Low correlations between infant and adult attachment style

Answer 39

Fraley reviewed 27 samples where infatns were assessed in infancy and later reassessed as adults. Correlations ranged from 0.5 to as low as 0.1 suggesting attachment type is not stable.

Question 40

Influence of early attachment Evaluation:

Overly Deterministic

Answer 40

Studies have found plenty of instances where insecurely attached children were experiencing happy relationships in adulthood. Simpson et al concluded that research does not suggest that an individuals past unalterably determines the course of his/her relationship.

Question 41

Influence of early attachment Evaluation:

An Alternative explanation

Answer 41

Feeney suggested that adult attachment patterns may result from the current relationship rather than the individuals early attachment type. Rather than the adult attachment type causing the adults secure relationship, it is the qualities of the adult relationship that is causing the secure attachment.