Romanian orphan studies: Institutionalisation Flashcards
What effect does maternal deprivation have on children?
It can lead to orphan status and attachment issues.
Rutter et al’s research highlights that many children affected were adopted, some by British parents.
What type of attachment did children adopted before the age of six months typically display?
Rarely displayed disinhibited attachment.
This finding is significant in understanding the impact of early adoption on attachment styles.
What was the main focus of Zeanah et al’s research in 2005?
To assess attachment in Romanian children living in institutional care.
The study involved 95 children aged 12-31 months and compared them to a control group of 50 children who had never lived in an institution.
What percentage of the control group was securely attached in the Strange Situation?
74%.
This contrasts sharply with the institutional group, where only 19% were securely attached.
What unusual social behavior was observed in the institutionalized children?
Disinhibited attachment characterized by attention-seeking behavior towards both familiar and unfamiliar adults.
This behavior is atypical since most children show stranger anxiety during their second year.
What is disinhibited attachment?
A behavior where children are equally friendly and affectionate towards familiar people and strangers.
This behavior is considered unusual as most children exhibit stranger anxiety.
How did Rutter explain disinhibited attachment?
As an adaptation to living with multiple caregivers during the sensitive period for attachment formation.
This suggests that without enough time spent with one caregiver, secure attachment may not form.
What signs of intellectual disability were observed in Rutter’s study?
Most children showed signs of intellectual disability upon arrival in Britain.
However, those adopted before six months old caught up with the control group by age four.
What is the critical age for forming attachments according to the text?
Three to six months.
This age range is crucial for developing secure attachments, as indicated by the research findings.
True or False: Children in institutional care rarely show disinhibited attachment.
False.
44% of institutionalized children displayed disinhibited attachment compared to less than 20% of controls.
Fill in the blank: The Bucharest early intervention project studied children aged _______ months.
12-31
