romanian orphan studies

Question 1

what was romanian orphan study about and aim?

Answer 1

studies effects of institutionalisation and deprivation on child development.
aimed to assess whether good care could make up for early privation

Question 2

what does rutter’s study suggest about institutional care?

Answer 2

long term effects depend on age of adoption- early adoption= better recovery

Question 3

what are the effects of institutionalisation?

Answer 3

disinhibited attachment
low IQ
poor physical development
emotional / social difficulty

Question 4

what was found about IQ in the orphans (Rutter)?

Answer 4

adopted before 6 months: IQ = 102
adopted after 2 years: IQ = 77

Question 5

strength- high internal validity

Answer 5

romanian orphans had clear early deprivation= no confounding factors like previous trauma/neglect= increases validity as effects are due to institutionalisation only

Question 6

weakness- lack of full conclusions

Answer 6

studies only followed orphans into adolescence- effects on adult relationships and mental health remain unknown. late adopted children may catch up later in life= low validity

Question 7

strength- what real world application did orphan studies have?

Answer 7

improved orphanage care- key workers assigned to children for attachment formation
ensured children are adopted at an early age

Question 8

weakness- individual differences

Answer 8

some children recovered well despite late adoption- could be genetic / personality factors. suggests impact of institutionalisation is not universal = challenges deterministic views

Question 9

how many orphans were studied in the ERA study?

Answer 9

165

Question 10

what were the age groups of adoption?

Answer 10

before 6 months= normal development
6 months - 2 years and over= disinhibited attachment and low IQ