Paper 1 - Attachment

Question 1

Rutter et al (2011)

Romanian Orphan Studies

Answer 1

• Good quality care after adoption compensates for privation in childhood
• 165 Romanian orphans
• Physical, cognitive and emotional development assessed at age 4, 6, 11, 15 years
• Natural experiment - 3 groups + control group
  1. Adopted before 6 months
  2. Adopted between 6 months - 2 years
  3. Adopted after 2 years
  4. 52 british children adopted around same time (control group)

Romanian Orphan Studies

Question 2

Rutter et al (2011) Results

Romanian Orphan Studies

Answer 2

• First arrived - 1/2 showed signs of mentall retardation + most undermourished
• Age 11 - different rates of recovery due to age of adoption
  1. IQ - 102
  2. IQ - 86
  3. IQ - 77
• Found evidence of new attachment style - disinhibited attachment in group 3 - children more likely to seek attention from any and all adults + very clingy
• Extremely rare in control groups
• Showed children who spent longer in institutions were more likely to develop disinhibited attachment

Question 3

Zeanah (2005)

Romanian Orphan Studies

Answer 3

• Effects of early institutionalization on brain + behaviour development
• 95 children aged 12-31 months - 90% of life in institutional care compared to 50 who had never
• Found 74% = control group securely attached whereas 19% = care
• 65% institutionalised - disorganised attachment - not a style in ainsworths strange situation
• 44% = care - disinhibited attachment whereas control group = 20%

Romanian Orphan Studies

Question 4

Zeanah Continued

Romanian Orphans Studies

Answer 4

• Method - another element - effects of institutions can be reversed with good care + if age had an effect
• Findings - effective in enhancing children’s development + earlier a child was placed into foster care - better recovery
• Results suggested before age 2 is KEY

Romanian Orphan Studies

Question 5

Hodge and Tizzard (1989)

Romanian Orphan Studies

Answer 5

• Effect of institutional upbringing on later attachments
• 65 children before 4 months in care compared with a matched control group who spent all their lives with own families
• Assessed at age 4, 8 and 16 via questionnaires + interviews for social and emotional competence
• Age 4 - 24 adopted - maternal dep. largely overcome = strong + lasting attachments
• All 3 groups had more difficluties with peers + fewer close relationships than matched control group

Romanian Orphan Studies

Question 6

AO3 Strength - Rutter et al (2011)

Romanian Orphan Studies

Answer 6

• Real world application
• Improved psychologists understanding of negative effects + how to prevent
• E.g children;s homes avoid many caregivers and only have one/two play a central role
• Children in institutional care have a better chnace to develop ‘normally’ + avoids disinhibited attachments

Romanian Orphan Studies

Question 7

AO3 Weakness - Rutter et al (2011)

Romanian Orphan Studies

Answer 7

• Longitudinal study
• Long time to collect data - lack of adult development data
• This means it will take a long time before long term eeffects of institutionalisation is produced
• However, longitudinal studies reduce the effects of participant variables - increases internal valdiity

Romanian Orphan Studies