Romanian Orphan Studies and Institutionalisation Flashcards
What is institutionalisation?
The effects of institutional care.
Who conducted research into Romanian orphans?
- Rutter et al.
- La Mere et al.
What year did Rutter et al conduct his research?
2011.
How many Romanian orphans did Rutter et al follow?
165 Romanian orphans that were adopted in Britain.
What was Rutter et al testing in the Romanian orphans?
Their physical, cognitive and social development.
What served as a control group in Rutter et al’s study?
A group of 52 British children that were adopted around the same time.
When the Romanian orphans first arrived in the UK, what did Rutter et al first find?
Half of the orphans showed signs of mental retardation and the majority were severely undernourished.
When the orphans were 11, what did Rutter et al find in the orphans that were adopted before the age of six months?
The mean IQ was 102.
At age 11, what did Rutter et al find in the orphans that were adopted between 6 months and 2 and a half years?
The mean IQ was 86.
At age 11, what did Rutter et al find in the orphans that were adopted after the age of 2 and a half years?
The mean IQ was 77.
How long did the difference in IQ last until in the Romanian orphans?
Until they were 16.
What type of attachment did the orphans who were adopted after 6 months show in Rutter et al’s study?
Disinhibited attachment.
What is disinhibited attachment?
Symptoms included attention-seeking, clinginess, and indiscriminate behaviour towards familiar and unfamiliar adults.
What did Rutter et al conclude?
Severe long-term effects of institutionalisation can be avoided if the child is able to form an attachment before 6 months.
What year did La Mere et al conduct their study?
2006.
