Romanian orphan studies: insistutionalisation

Question 1

What did Rutter conduct?

Answer 1

English Romanian Adoptee study (ERA)

Question 2

What was the aim of Rutters research?

Answer 2

To investigate the extent to which good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions

Question 3

At what ages was physical, cognitive and emotional development assessed in Rutters research?

Answer 3

4,6,11, 15 & 22-25

Question 4

What was the control group in Rutters research?

Answer 4

52 British adoptees

Question 5

What were Rutters findings when adoptees first arrived in the UK?

Answer 5

• They were malnourished and showed signs of delayed intellectual development

Question 6

What did recovery rates in Rutters study relate to at the age of 11?

Answer 6

age of adoption

Question 7

Rutter: Those adopted before 6 months had a mean IQ of…

Answer 7

102

Question 8

Rutter: Those adopted between 6 months & two years had a mean IQ of…

Answer 8

86

Question 9

Rutter: Those adopted after two years had a mean IQ of…

Answer 9

77

Question 10

Rutter: Those adopted after 6 months showed signs of…

Answer 10

Disinhibited attachment

Question 11

What symptoms did children adopted after 6 months in Rutters study have in relation to disinhibited attachment?

Answer 11

attention seeking, clinginess, indiscriminate affection

Question 12

What did Rutter conclude from his study?

Answer 12

• Supports there is a sensitive period in development of attachments and without this attachment they can have long lasting effects

Question 13

What project did Zeanah et all conduct?

Answer 13

Bucharest Early Intervention project (BEI)

Question 14

what was the sample for Zeanah et al’s project?

Answer 14

95 children aged 12-31 months, who spent most their life in institutions

Question 15

Who was Zeanah et al’s sample compared to?

Answer 15

control group of 50 children who never lived in an institution

Question 16

How was children in Zeanah study attachment type measured?

Answer 16

Using the strange situation

Question 17

Zeanah et al found that only _% of the institutionalised were securely attached compared to _ of control group?

Answer 17

19%
74%

Question 18

What percentage of children in Zeanah et al’s study were classified with a disorganised attachment?

Answer 18

65%

Question 19

What are the two effects of institutionalisation?

Answer 19

• disinhibited attachment
• damage to intellectual disability

Question 20

What is disinhibited attachment?

Answer 20

• child is equally friendly and affectionate to strangers and people they know

Question 21

What does Rutter say disinhibited attachment is an adaption of?

Answer 21

• Living with multiple caregivers during the sensitive period

Question 22

What is a strength of Romanian orphan studies in terms of practical application?

Answer 22

• results have helped to improve conditions for children growing up outside family home
• Langdon >children’s homes now avoid having large numbers of caregivers for each child
• instead there are 1/2 key workers who play a central role in emotional care
• this gives a child the chance to develop normal attachments in order to avoid disinhibited attachment

Question 23

What is a strength of romanian orphan studies in terms of variables?

Answer 23

• fewer CV’s
• previous CVs in other Romanian studies included children experiencing varying degrees of trauma, such as neglect, abuse & bereavement
• Romanian orphan studies differ>children were handed over by loving parents who could not afford to keep them
  > high internal validity

Question 24

What is a limitation of Romanian orphan studies in terms of clarity?

Answer 24

• the long term effects of institutionalization is not clear > adopted Romanian orphans have only been followed into their mid teens
• still waiting to answer questions on lifetime prevalence of mental health problems, success in forming and maintaining adult romantic & parental relationships etc