Romanian Orphan Studies

Question 1

Institutionalisation

Answer 1

Used to describe effect of being in institutional care which can cause privation where no emotional attachment bond is formed.

Question 2

Who studied Romanian Orphans?

Answer 2

Rutter et al 2011.

Question 3

Procedure

Answer 3

Followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans for many years as part of the English and Romanian adoptee study. Physical, cognitive, and emotional development were assessed at ages 4,6,11,15,22-25. 52 children adopted from UK at same time so used as control group.

Question 4

Findings

Answer 4

When first arrived in UK half showed low IQ and malnourished. Mean IQ those adopted before 6 months was 102, 86 for 6 months - 2 years, and 77 for 2 years + at 11. Those before 6 months caught up to control group by 4. Intellectual development can be recovered from before 6 months. Those after 6 months showed disinhibited attachment type of clinginess, attention seeking, etc.

Question 5

Another Researcher

Answer 5

Zeanah et al 2005. Assessed 95 Romanian children aged 12-13 months who spent about 90% of lives in institutional care. Compared to 50 children who hadn’t. Attachment type assessed using strange situation and interviewed carers about behaviour e.g. clinginess. Found 74% of control group had secure attachment but only 19% of other and 44% showed disinhibited attachment compared to >20% in control.

Question 6

Effects of Institutionalisation

Answer 6

Disinhibited Attachment and Intellectual Disability.

Question 7

Disinhibited Attachment

Answer 7

Being equally friendly to strangers and familiar people, so no stranger anxiety. This is an adaption to living with multiple caregivers during sensitive period who they couldn’t form an attachment with as didn’t spend enough time with them.

Question 8

Intellectual Disability

Answer 8

Low IQ. Damage to this can be recovered if adopted before the 6 months.

Question 9

Strength (C)

Answer 9

Lack of confounding variables.
Most came from loving families who just couldn’t afford them unlike in other studies where had to determine if impact of neglect or privation.
Experience same this so negative early experiences don’t confound study giving it internal validity.
However… could be other confounding variables like no mental stimulation and malnourished which could effect development so could be due to poor care and not because in institution.

Question 10

Strength (A)

Answer 10

Real world application.
Changed adoption system as before encouraged mothers to keep children for substantial time so critical period passed, now infants are adopted as early as one week old.
Put methods in place to reduce effects.
Furthermore… children’s home avoid having large number of carers for each child and ensure one or two who play a key role to allow normal attachments.

Question 11

Strength (L)

Answer 11

Research longitudinal.
Took place over many years following the same participants.
Will be an internally valid representation of effects of being institutional care and the results of receiving care later on.
However… could be argued lacks external validity as possible conditions in Romania so bad they cannot be applied to understanding the impact of better quality care or indeed any situation where children experience privation.