Romanian Orphan Studies - Effects Of Institutinalisation

Question 1

What’s an institution?

Answer 1

Living in a hospital or orphanage e.g

Question 2

Romania In 1990s:
1
2
3
4

Answer 2

Large number of children in i humane conditions.
Contraception banned- parents forces to abandon children
These children suffer privation (never formed an AF)
Malnourished, very crowded, limited social interactions

Question 3

Who studied to what extent can good quality care make up for poor early experiences in institutions.

Answer 3

Rutter et al

Question 4

Rutter et al study
Aim
Method
Results

Answer 4

To what extent good quality care make up for early experience in childhood in institutions.
165 Romanian longitudinal study
orphaned poor conditions
Adopted to UK

If they were adopted before 6 months, av IQ 102

If adopted after 2 years
Av IQ 77

Adopted after 6 months: clingy, attention seeking, indiscriminate affection to strangers (disinhibited attachment)

Question 5

Rutter et al conclusion
1
2
3

Answer 5

Found that the later they were adopted (after critical period of attachments) slower recovery rates on intellectual development (lower IQ)
So supports bowlbys sensitive period

Also concluded negative outcome can be overcome through adequate substitute care.
And deprivation from mother ALONE not sufficient to cause negative development effects.

Question 6

What are the effects of institutionalisation?
1
2

Answer 6

Disinhibited attachment
Intellectual retardation

Question 7

Describe Disinhibited attachment
1
2
3 How?
4

Answer 7

Equally friendly with people they know well and strangers
Don’t often show stranger anxiety
How? Multiple caregivers during sensitive period (in institutions)
E.g in poor quality institutions in Romania: 50 carers

Question 8

Effects of institutionalisation
Intellectual retardation

Answer 8

Rutter-
165 orphans longitudinal
UK:
Adopted Before 6 months IQ 102
Adopted after 2 - IQ 77
So those adopted after sensitive period - intellectual retardation (low IQ)

But before 6 months - emotional and intelligent damage can be recovered

Question 9

Who assessed the attachment in orphanages?

Answer 9

Bucharest

Question 10

Bucharest early intervention project
Method
Results
Secure
Disorganised
Disinhibited

Answer 10

Use strange situation to assess their attachment type
Used a control group of children
Secure: control 74% institution 19%
Disorganised attachment type: 65%
Disinhibited attachment: 44% institutionalised 20% control

Question 11

Evaluation of effects of institutionalisation and Romanian orphan studies.
S
S
L
L

Answer 11

(A01: Rutter shows Intellectual retardation?)

S practical application (Langton)
S: Romanian orphan studies fewer CF than orphan studies
L: issues with generalisability
L: children not randomly assigned

Question 12

Evaluation of effects of institutionalisation and Romanian orphan studies.
Practical application.

Answer 12

By knowing this knowledge, changed the way children in institutions are cared for orphanages and children’s homes now avoid having large numbers of caregivers for each child and instead ensure perhaps only one or two keyworkers means that children have the chance to develop normal attachments and helps to avoid disinhibited attachment types. This shows that research into institutionalisation has been immensely valuable in practical terms as it has improved childcare.

Question 13

Evaluation of effects of institutionalisation and Romanian orphan studies.
Fewer CF in Romanian studies than orphan studies

Answer 13

For example, the children may have experienced neglect, abuse of bereavement. These children were often traumatised by their experiences. It was very hard for psychologists to observe the effects of institutionalisation in isolation because the children were dealing with multiple factors which functioned as confounding variables.: This is a strength because, in the case of the Romanian orphan study institutionalisation without these confounding variables, which means that the findings have high internal validity and a cause and effect relationship can be established.

Question 14

Evaluation of effects of institutionalisation and Romanian orphan studies.
Low generalisability

Answer 14

Romanian orphanages had particular poor standards of care, especially when it came to forming any new relationships with the children, and extremely low levels of intellectual stimulation.: This is a limitation of the Romanian orphans study because the unusual situational variables means that studies may lack generalisability and therefore, the findings cannot be applied to the understanding of the impact of better quality care institutions

Question 15

Evaluation of effects of institutionalisation and Romanian
Children not randomly assigned

Answer 15

Rutter did not interfere with the adoption process - unethical to choose who gets adopted and who doesn’t.
So children may have got adopted early due to being more social or naturally more smarter
Bucharest early intervention project did randomly assign orphans so removed that CF but unethical
Limitation as participant variable in rutters study may confound their intellectual development rather than the age they could adopted and the care they recieved

Question 16

Describe disorganised attachment

Answer 16

These infants tend to show confused, indecisive, disorientated behaviour as well as stereotypical signs of distress such as rocking.