Romanian Oprhan Studies: Effects Of Institutionalisation Flashcards
Institutionalisation
This relates to the effects of being brought up in a place away from your parents.
Orphan studies
Investigations that study children who have been brought up in care because their parents have died or have abandoned them
Rutter et al (2011)
METHOD: studying 165 Romanian children and a control group of 52 English children who were adopted at the same time. Assessed at ages 4,6,11&15 for their emotional, cognitive and physical development. He also noted when they were adopted into a British family.
FINDINGS: those adopted before 6 months had an average IQ of 102 at 11. Those adopted after two years had an IQ of 77. Adoption after 6 months could lead to disinhibited attachment.
Zenah et al (2005)
METHOD: studying 95 Romanian adoptees between 12 & 31 months who spent most of their life’s in institutional care. Compared to a control group of 50 British non adoptees.
FINDINGS: 19% of Romanian adoptees had secure attachment in comparison so 74% of the control group.
Evaluation strength: real life application
Research has been used to change how children are treated in orphanages.
Evaluation strength: greater internal validity
As sample involved children who went straight into an orphanage as opposed to experience abuse beforehand
Evaluation weakness: rutter’s study
Participants were not randomly allocated. This is an issue as it may be the reason why those adopted early did better because they would have been assessed as being better able to cope with adoption
Evaluation weakness: we don’t know the long term impact
They have not been studied for a long enough period and may not continue this good progress into adulthood
Evaluation weakness: Romanian orphanages are not typical
Conditions were particularly poor and the children were very malnourished
