⭐️ Romanian orphan studies✅ Flashcards
what did Romanian orphan studies look in to the effects of?
institutionalisation
what is a disinhibited attachment?
why might this be the case?
when a child is equally friendly and affectionate to some one they know and a stranger
if multiple caregivers have been present during the up bringing of the child
what often happens to institutionalised children intellectual development?
in what circumstance is this effect not really pronounced?
becomes damaged and mental retardation occurs
if the child is adopted before 6 months
who conducted the English Romanian adoptee study?
ERA
Rutter et al
English Romanian adoptee:
who did the researchers look at?
what type of study was it and why?
at what ages was physical, cognitive and emotional development assessed?
165 Romanian orphans who experienced very poor conditions before being adopted into Britain
longitudinal study to see the extent of which good care can make up for poor early experiences in institutions
4, 6 , 11 and 15 years.
ERA findings:
what did half of the orphans show when they first came to the uk?
at age 11, what were recovery rates linked too?
mental retardation
their age of adoption
ERA findings:
what was the mean IQ for those adopted before 6 months?
what was the mean IQ for those adopted after 2 years?
102
77
ERA findings:
what did the frequency if disinihbted attachment link too?
in which children was this most apparent in? what characteristics ddi they display?
the age of adoption
children adopted +6months , clinginess, attention seeking
rare in children adopted -6months
ERA conclusion:
what do these findings suggest about the sensitive period?
attachment needs to be formed in this time if not they will be more difficult to later on. the failure to form an attachment before 6months old will have long lasting effects
who conducted the Bucharest early intervention project ?
what situation did the researchers use?
how many children did they assess attachment in? how old?
zeanah et al
the strange situation
95 children ages 12-31 months who has spent most their lives in institutional care
BEIP:
what was the control group they were
compared too?
50 children who had never experienced institutional care
BEIP:
findings:
what % of the institutionalised group were securely attached?
what % classified as disorganised attachment?
19%
65%
AO3:
✅ strength
✅studying Romanian orphans has important practical applications. has led to improvement in the way children are cared for, children homes now have one or two ‘key workers’ who play a central role so the child can form a normal attachment
also good bc it gives a clear insight into the ways in which certain institutions affect children attachment
AO3:
❌ 2 weaknesses
❌ longitudinal study has high attrition rates …. once the children were adopted they may not wish to take part in the study anymore so the results would not be representative.
❌ generalisibility issues in Romanian studies. the conditions of the institutions are so bad and that they aren’t really the same as in institutions of care and general deprivation situations
