Romanian orphan studies: Institutionalisation

Question 1

What are orphan studies?

Answer 1

Study of children placed in care (parents were unable to care for them)

Question 2

What is institutionalisation?

Answer 2

Effects of living in an institutional setting

Question 3

Why was Romania significant due to a high level of orphans?

Answer 3

• 1990s- President Nicolai Ceaucescu required women to have 5 children

Question 4

What was Rutter et al’s procedure?

Answer 4

• Follow 165 Romanian orphans in the English and Romanian adoptee (ERA)
• Adoption by UK families
• Physical, cognitive, emotional development assessed at 4,5,6,11,15, 22-25 years
• 52 UK adopted kids= control group

Question 5

What was Rutter’s aim when studying Romanian orphans?

Answer 5

• Investigate extent to which good care makes up for poor early experiences in institutions

Question 6

What did Rutter find in his orphan study?

Answer 6

• 1/2 adoptees showed signs of delayed intellectual development
• Majority= severely undernourished
• By 11, different rates of recovery occured, related to age of adoption
• Mean IQ: pre 6 months= 102, between 6 months and 2 years= 86, after 2 years= 77
• Adoption after 6 months led to disinhibited attachment

Question 7

What are the symptoms of disinhibited attachment?

Answer 7

• Attention-seeking
• Clinginess
• Social behaviour directed towards adults

Question 8

What was Zeenah et al’s procedure?

Answer 8

• Bucharest early intervention (BEI)
• Assess attachment in 95 Romanian kids, aged 12-31 months (90% of their lives)
• Compare to control of 50 kids, never lived in institutions
• Attachment type measured (SS)
• Carers asked about unsual social behaviour

Question 9

What were Zeenah et al’s findings?

Answer 9

• 74% of control group were securely attached
• Vs 19% of institutional group
• 44% of institutionalised kids displayed disinhibited attachment vs 20% of control kids

Question 10

What are the 2 main effects of institutionalisation?

Answer 10

• Disinhibited attachment
• Intellectual disability

Question 11

What does research show about disinhibited attachment?

Answer 11

• Lives spent in institutions= more likely to show signs of disinhibited attachment
  -Rutter- an adaptation to multiple caregivers during sensitive period

Question 12

What does research show about intellectual disability?

Answer 12

• Rutter’s study: most shows signs of intellectual disability
• Before 6 months- caught up to control by 4 years
• Damage can be recovered if adoption occurs before 6 months

Question 13

What are the strengths of Romanian orphan studies?

Answer 13

• Real world application
• Fewer confounding variables

Question 14

What are the limitations of Romanian orphan studies?

Answer 14

• Introduction of confounding variables
• Lacks of adult data
• Social sensitive research

Question 15

Strength-
I- Real world application

Answer 15

D- Studies allow psychologists to prevent the worst of poor conditions. Led to improvements to the care system- e.g: avoid large numbers of caregivers per child
E- Means kids in institutions have a chance to develop ‘normal’ attachments

Question 16

Strength-
I- Fewer confounding variables

Answer 16

D- Other orphan studies (during WW2) experienced trauma, so it is difficult to disentangle effects of neglect, abuse, bereavement. Kids handed over by loving parents- so lack this extent of trauma
E- Means results are less likely to be confounded, so research is high in validity

Question 17

Limitation-
I- Introduction of confounding variables

Answer 17

D- Quality of care was poor, so kids had little intellectual stimulation or comfort
E- Means harmful effects may represent effects of poor institutional care

Question 18

Limitation-
I- Lack of adult data

Answer 18

D- Latest data from ERA study- kids are mid 20s. No current data to answer questions about long term institutional care, e.g: prevelance of mental health issues, success in forming/maintaining relationships
E- Means it will be a while before we understand long term effects

Question 19

Limitation-
I- Research is socially sensitive

Answer 19

D- Shows late-adopted children having poor developmental outcomes. Results published as kids grew up, so people may have lowered their expectations and treated them differently
E- Creates a self-fulfilling prophecy