Romanian orphan studies: Effects of instituionalisation

Question 1

Rutter and Sonuga-Barke (2010)

Answer 1

Studies 165 romanian orphans who spent their early lives in Romanian institutions. Of these, 111 were adopted before the age of 2 and 54 by the age of 4.

Question 2

Romanian orphan studies:
AO1
Rutter and Sonuga-Barke 2010
Procedure

Answer 2

Adoptees were tested ar regular intervals to assess physical, congitive and social development, and compared to a control group of 52 British children adopted in the UK before the age of 6 months.

Question 3

Romanian orphan studies:
AO1
Rutter and Sonuga-Barke 2010
Findings

Answer 3

Romanian orphans lagged behind the British adoptee on all measures of development. They were smaller, weighed less and were classified as mentally retarted. By the age of 4, some of the children caught up with their British counterparts, particularly those adoped before age of 6 months

Question 4

Romanian orphan studies:
AO1
Rutter and Sonuga-Barke 2010
Findings (Follow-ups)

Answer 4

Confirmed that the significant deficts (disinhibited attachments and problems with peer relationships0 remained in individuals who experienced institutional care beyond the age of 6 months.

Question 5

Romanian orphan studies:
AO1
Rutter and Sonuga-Barke 2010
4 key effects of instituionalisation, including:

Answer 5

1. Physical under development - the lack of nourisment and emotional care can lead to deprivation dwarfism
2. Intellectual underfunctioning - emotional deprivation can affect cognitive development
3. Disinhibited attachment - a form of attachment where children treat near-strangers with overfriendliness
4. Poor parenting - research has foind (Quinton et al, 1984) that women raised in institutions experience difficulties acting as parents in later life, in comparision to women raised at home.

Question 6

Physical underdevelopment

One of the 4 key effects of institutionalisation

Answer 6

Usually physically small’ Gardner 1972 research has shown the lack of emotional care rather than poor nourishment is the cause of deprivation dwarfism.

Question 7

Intellectual underfunctioning

A key effect of institutionalisation

Answer 7

Emotional deprivation can affect cognitive development

Question 8

Disinhibited attachment

Another key effect on institionalisation

Answer 8

A form of attachent where children treat near-strangers with overfriendliness -do not discriminate between people they choose as attachment figures.

Question 9

Poor parenting

Another key effect institutionalisation

Answer 9

Research has found(Quinton et al, 1984) that women raised in institutions experience difficulties acting as parents in later life, in comparision to women raised at home. This is also shown in Harlow’s study as monekys raised with surrogate mother became poor parents.

Question 10

Discuss research related to the effects of institutionalisation [16 marks]
AO3
WEAKNESS- Individual differences

Answer 10

P: A weakness of research into institutionalisation is that not all children who are institutionalised are unable to recover, due to individual differences.

E: Some children are not strongly affected by instituionalisation and Rutter suggested that some children in instituions might recieve special attention, possibly because they smiled more and had some type of attachment experience. This would have enabled the children to cope better.

L: This suggests that the fingings of institutionalisation research are not universal and some children can recover from the negative effects of institutionalisation and can later form attachments.

Question 11

Discuss research related to the effects of institutionalisation [16 marks]
AO3
STRENGTH- value of longnitutinal studies.

Answer 11

P:A tregnth of Rutter and Sonuga-Barke’s research is that they followed the lives of children over many years.

E: Longitudinal studies take a lot of time and planning: however, the benefits are large.

E: Longnitudinal studies allow researchers to assess the Long term effects of instituionalisation and whether the effect may disappear after sufficent time with suitable high-quality care.

L: This suggets that the findings of longnitutinal studies are valid representation of the effect of institutionalisation and have temporal validity.

Question 12

Discuss research related to the effects of institutionalisation [16 marks]
AO3
WEAKNESS- One critcism of the romanian orphan studies is that deprivation is only one factor.

Answer 12

P: A limitation of Rutter and Sonuga-Barke’s research is that there were confounding variables.

E: The romanian orphans were faced with much more than emotional deprivation. Their physical condtions were appaling, which may have also impacted their health.

E: The lack of cognitive stimulation may have also affected their cognitive developent.

L: This suggests that researchers should be cautious when interpreting the effects of Romanian orphan studies, as there are many factors that could have affected the orphan’s development.

Question 13

Discuss research related to the effects of institutionalisation [16 marks]
A strength of institutionalisation research is the application of it to improving childrens’ lives.

Answer 13

E: The research of Bowlby changed the way that children were looked after so that much more focus was given when children were hospitalised

E: Furthermore, the process of adoption has changed so that mothers who give a baby up for adoption do so within the first week of birth, so that the children can form a secure attachment with their adoptive families.

L: This highlights the benefit of institutionalisation research to improving lives of children in different ways.

Question 14

What AO3 strengths are you using?

Answer 14

1. Value of longnitutinal studies.

2. The application of it to improving childrens’ lives.

Question 15

What AO3 critques are you using?

Answer 15

1. individual differences of children may play an important role role.
2. Deprivation is only one factor.