psychology : evaluation of romanian or studies - effects of phan institutalisation

Question 1

what is a strength of romanian orphan study ?

Answer 1

• application to improve conditions for children growing up outside their family home

Question 2

what did the strength help to do ?

Answer 2

• led to improvements in the way children are cared for in institutions (langdon 2006)

Question 3

what is the example of strength being applied ?

Answer 3

• orphanages + children’s homes now avoid having large numbers of caregivers for each child
  –> ensure that a much smaller number of people play a central role for the child - key worker
• this means that children have the chance to develop normal attachments and help avoid disinhibited attachment

Question 4

what does the strength overall show ?

Answer 4

• that such research has been immensely valuable in practical terms

Question 5

what is a limitation of the study ?

Answer 5

• a lack of confounding variables
  –> as prior orphan studies used orphans who had experienced varying degrees of trauma

Question 6

what does this limitation mean ?

Answer 6

• e.g. war orphans
  –> very difficult to disentangle the effects of neglect,physical abuse and bereavement from those of institutional care

Question 7

what does this limitation suggest

Answer 7

• romanian orphans were in the main handed over by loving parents who couldn’t afford them
  –> results are less likely to be confounded by other negative early experiences
  –> high internal validity

Question 8

what is a counterpoint to the limitation ?

Answer 8

• studies from RO may have introduced other confounding variables
• remarkably poor care in the orphanages
• very little intellectual simulation
• very little emotional care
• very little comfort

Question 9

what does the counterpoint suggest ?

Answer 9

• the effects of institutionalisation may in fact the effects of poor institutional care rather than institutional care in general

Question 10

what is a limitation of RO ?

Answer 10

• the results from the research have been published while the orphans were growing up

Question 11

what does the limitation mean ?

Answer 11

• results show the late adopted children typically have poor developmental outcomes
• could result in lowered expectations

Question 12

what does the limitation further mean ?

Answer 12

• may receive different treatment/expectations
• self-fulfilling prophecy
• should the results been published at all

Question 13

what does the RO further conclude ?

Answer 13

• study is still on going
• don’t have answers to the majority of the questions