Romanian orphan studies: Institutionalisation Flashcards
What are orphan studies?
Study of children placed in care (parents were unable to care for them)
What is institutionalisation?
Effects of living in an institutional setting
Why was Romania significant due to a high level of orphans?
- 1990s- President Nicolai Ceaucescu required women to have 5 children
What was Rutter et al’s procedure?
- 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
What was Rutter’s aim when studying Romanian orphans?
- Investigate extent to which good care makes up for poor early experiences in institutions
What did Rutter find in his orphan study?
- 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
What are the symptoms of disinhibited attachment?
- Attention-seeking
- Clinginess
- Social behaviour directed towards adults
What was Zeenah et al’s procedure?
- 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
What were Zeenah et al’s findings?
- 74% of control group were securely attached
- Vs 19% of institutional group
- 44% of institutionalised kids displayed disinhibited attachment vs 20% of control kids
What are the 2 main effects of institutionalisation?
- Disinhibited attachment
- Intellectual disability
What does research show about disinhibited attachment?
- Lives spent in institutions= more likely to show signs of disinhibited attachment
-Rutter- an adaptation to multiple caregivers during sensitive period
What does research show about intellectual disability?
- 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
What are the strengths of Romanian orphan studies?
- Real world application
- Fewer confounding variables
What are the limitations of Romanian orphan studies?
- Introduction of confounding variables
- Lacks of adult data
- Social sensitive research
Strength-
I- Real world application
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
Strength-
I- Fewer confounding variables
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
Limitation-
I- Introduction of confounding variables
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
Limitation-
I- Lack of adult data
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
Limitation-
I- Research is socially sensitive
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
