Romanian Orphan Studies

Question 1

Orphan studies

Answer 1

These concern children placed in care because their parents cannot look after them. An orphan is a child whose parent have either died or abandoned them permanently

Question 2

Institutionalisation

Answer 2

A term for the effects of living in the an institutional setting.

The term ‘institution’ refers to a place like a hospital or an orphanage where people live for long, continuous periods of time.

In such places there is often very little emotional care provided.

Question 3

Rutter’s research- PROCEDURE

Answer 3

• Followed a group 165 Romanian orphans
• Orphans adopted by families in the UK
• Physical, cognitive and emotional development assessed at ages 4, 6, 11, 15 and 22-25 years
• Group of 52 children from the UK adopted around the same time have served as a control group

Question 4

Rutter’s research- FINDINGS

Answer 4

• When first arrived in UK, half adoptees showed signs of delayed intellectual development
• Majority were severely under nourished
• At 11 the adopted children showed differential rates of recovery related to their age of adoption
• Mean IQ of children adopted before the age of 6months was 102 compared with 86 for those adopted between 6 mths and 2 years and 77 for those adopted after 2 years
• Children adopted after 6 months showed signs of a particular attachment style called disinhibited attachment.

Question 5

Zeanah research- PROCEDURE

Answer 5

• Conducted Bucharest early intervention
• Assessing attachment in 95 Romanian children age 12-31 months who had spent most of their lives in institutionalised care
• Compared to control group of 50 children

Question 6

Zeanah research- FINDINGS

Answer 6

• Researchers found that 74% of control group were classed as securely attachment in strange situation
• However, 19% of the institutional group were securely attached
• Description of disinhibited attachment applied to 44% of institutionalised children as opposed to less than 20% of the controls

Question 7

What are the two effects of institutionalisation

Answer 7

• Disinhibited attachment
• Intellectual disability

Question 8

Disinhibited attachment

Answer 8

Attention seeking, clingy, treating familiar and unfamiliar adults similar
Eg. Affectionate towards both.

Question 9

Intellectual disability

Answer 9

Mental Retardation – low IQ

Question 10

Romanian orphan studies evaluation points- Real world application

Answer 10

STRENGTH

Both institutional care and adoption practice have been improved using lessons from Romanian orphans

Question 11

Romanian orphan studies evaluation points- Fewer confounding variables

Answer 11

STRENGTH

Romanian orphans had fewer negative influences before institutionalisation than e.g. war orphans

Question 12

Romanian orphan studies evaluation points- Lack of adult data

Answer 12

LIMITATION

We don’t know the effects of institutional care on adult development