Romanian Orphan Studies Flashcards
why have orphan studies been used?
To study the effects of deprivation on emotional and intellectual development.
What tragic opportunity arose in Romania in the 1990s that meant institutionalisation could be studied?
Former presidemt Nicolai Ceascescu required Romanian women to have 5 children. Many Romanian parents couldn’t afford to keep their children so they ended up in huge orphanages in very poor conditions. After the Romanian revolution many of the children were adopted, some by British parents.
What is institutionalization?
The psychological effects of being raised in an institutional setting such as an orphanage leading to a lack of attachment formation due to the inadequate emotional care provided.
Who did a study on Romanian orphans?
Rutter
Describe Rutter’s procedure
Rutter and colleagues (2011), followed up 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain to test to what extent good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions. Physical, cognitive and emotional development has been assessed at ages 4,6,11&15 years. A group of 52 British children adopted around the same time have served as a control group.
What were Rutter’s findings?
- When the children first arrived in the UK, half the adoptees showed signs of delayed intellectual development and the majority were severely undernourished.
- At age 11 the adopted children showed differential rates of recovery that were related to their age of adoption.
- The mean IQ of those children adopted before the age of 6 months was 102, compared with 86 for those adopted between 6 months and 2 yrs and 77 for those adopted after 2 years. These differences reamined at age 16.
- ADHD was more common in 15 and 22-25 year old samles.
- In terms of attachment, there appeared to be a difference in outcome related to whether adoption took place before or after 6 months.
- Those children adopted after they were 6 months shows signs of a disinhibited attachment.
- In contrast, those children adopted before the age of 6 months rarely displayed disinhibited attachment.
What symptoms are included in the disinhibited attachment type?
Symptoms include attention-seeking, clinginess and social behaviour directed indiscriminately towards all adults, both familiar and unfamiliar.
Who conducted the Bucharest Early Intervention project?
Zeanah et al (2005)
Describe the procedure
Zeanah et al assessed attachment in 95 children aged 12-31 months who had spent most of their lives in institutional care (90% on average). They were compared to a control group of 50 children who had never lived in an institution. Their attachment type was measured using the Strange Situation.
What were the findings?
They found that 74% of the control group came out as securely attached in the Strange Situation. However, only 19% of the institutional group were securely attached, with 65% being classified with disorganised attachment.
What are the 2 effects of institutionalisation?
Disinhibited attachment
Intellectual disability / mental retardation
Describe Disinhibited attachment
It’s a typical effect of spending time in an institution. They are equally friendly and affectionate towards people they know well or who are strangers that they have just met.
How has Rutter explained disinhibited attachment?
As an adaptation to living with multiple caregivers during the sensitive period for attachment formation. In poor quality institutions like those in Romania a child might have 50 carers none of whom they see enough to form secure attachment.
Describe Intellectual disability / mental retardation
In Rutter’s most recent study most children showed signs of intellectual disability / mental retardation when they arrived in Britain. However, most of those adopted before they were 6 months old caught up with the control group by the age of 4.
What does this show?
Like emotional development, damage to intellectual development as a result of institutionalisation can be recovered provided adoption takes place before the age of 6 months - the age at which attachments form.
