Romanian Orphan Studies: Institutionalisation Flashcards
What was Rutter’s procedure?
Rutter (2011) followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans for many years as part of the English and Romanian Adoptee study. The orphans had been adopted by Ul families. The aim of the ERA was to investigate the extent to which good care could overcome institutionalisation. Physical, cognitive and emotional development was assessed from 4-25 years old. A group of children from the UK adopted at the same time served as a control group.
What were Rutter’s findings of intellectual development?
Upon arrival, half of the adoptees showed signs of delayed intellectual development and the majority were severely undernourished. At age 11 they showed differential rates of recovery related to their age of adoption. The mean IQ of those adopted before 6 months was 102, compared with 86 with those adopted from 6 months - 2 years.
What were Rutter’s findings of attachment development?
The children adopted after 6 months displayed disinhibited attachment. Symptoms included attention-seeking, clinginess and social behaviour directed indiscriminately towards all adults. Those adopted before 6 months rarely displayed this attachment style.
What was Zeanah’s research and findings?
Zeanah conducted the Bucharest Early Intervention, assessing attachment in 95 Romanian children aged 12-31 who had spent 90% of their lives in institutional care. Their attachment type was measured, with only 19% being securely attached compared to 74% of a control group. Disinhibited attachment also accounts for 44% of the institutionalised children, compared to 20% in a control group.
What is the strength - Real-World Application?
A strength is the application to improve conditions for children growing up outside the family home. This has improved psychologist’s understanding of the effects of institutional care and how to prevent this. This has led to improvements in the care system - children now tend to have 1/2 key workers who play a central role in their emotional care. Considerable effort is now made to foster or adopt children instead of using an orphanage.
What is the strength - Fewer confounding variables?
Many of the children from previous orphan studies experienced trauma and bereavement, but the Romanian orphanage children had been handed in by loving parents who could not afford to keep them. This means the results were less likely to be confounded by other negative early experiences.
What is the counterpoint - Fewer confounding variables.
Studying Romanian children may have different confounding variables. The quality of care is poorer, with children receiving less stimulation or comfort. This means that the harmful effects in Romanian Orphan studies may represent the effects of poor institutional care rather than standard institutional care.
What is the limitation - Lack of adult data
One limitation is the lack of data on adult development. The latest data looked at 25-year olds, and so we don’t have answers to questions concerning prevalence of lifelong mental health issues, success of forming long-term romantic relationships, or parental success. This means we do not currently have the full picture of the total long-term effects are.
