romanian orphan studies Flashcards
What event led to the study of Romanian orphans?
Former President Nicolai Ceauşescu required Romanian women to have five children, leading to many children in orphanages.
What is the ERA study?
English and Romanian Adoptee study by Michael Rutter and colleagues.
What is the aim of the ERA study?
To investigate the extent to which good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions.
What developmental aspects were assessed in the ERA study?
Physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
What were the initial signs shown by the adoptees upon arrival in the UK?
Delayed intellectual development and severe undernourishment.
What was the mean IQ of children adopted before six months?
102
What was the mean IQ of children adopted after two years?
77
What attachment style was common in children adopted after six months?
Disinhibited attachment
What are symptoms of disinhibited attachment?
Attention-seeking, clinginess, and social behavior directed indiscriminately towards all adults.
What is the BEI project?
Bucharest Early Intervention project by Charles Zeanah et al.
What did the BEI project assess?
Attachment in Romanian children aged 12-31 months who had spent most of their lives in institutional care.
How was attachment type measured in the BEI project?
Using the Strange Situation.
What percentage of the control group was securely attached in the Strange Situation?
0.74
What percentage of the institutional group was securely attached in the Strange Situation?
0.19
What percentage of institutionalized children displayed disinhibited attachment?
0.44
How is disinhibited attachment defined?
Being equally friendly and affectionate towards familiar people and strangers.
How did Rutter explain disinhibited attachment?
As an adaptation to living with multiple caregivers during the sensitive period for attachment formation.
What did Rutter’s study show regarding intellectual disability?
Most children showed signs of intellectual disability upon arrival in Britain.
What is a real-world application of the Romanian orphanage studies?
Improving conditions for children growing up outside their family home.
What improvements have been made in children’s homes?
Avoiding large numbers of caregivers for each child, instead having one or two “key workers.”
What is a factor that reduces confounding variables in the Romanian studies?
Children were mainly handed over by parents who could not afford to keep them.
What is a counterpoint regarding confounding variables?
The quality of care in Romanian institutions was remarkably poor.
What is a limitation of the Romanian orphanage studies?
Lack of data on adult development.
Why are the Romanian orphan studies socially sensitive?
Results show that late-adopted children typically have poor developmental outcomes.
