The Reversibility of Privation

Question 1

Simple answer can privation be reversed

Answer 1

Yes, even Genie with the longest duration and worst severity was able to reverse the effects of privation to an extent

Question 2

What factors can make a child reverse privation effects? => name studies

Answer 2

1) Hodges and tizzard = need parental care to recover
2) Genie = severity of privation affects reversibility
3) Czech twins, Bulldogs bank = (Yes, they had each other so was it privation but received no adult attention and care so it was privation) once received care from adults after adopted showed incredible improvements -> twins recovered intellectually
4) Romanian = can recover not completely but to an extent even with very poor living conditions
5) Romanian = need enough staff in children’s orphanages to be there for them socially and emotionally

Question 3

Why might privation not be reversible?

Answer 3

1) Genie = only recovered by saying words but not grammatically correct, when beat for vomiting reversed recovering fully
2) Czech twins and Bulldogs Bank = had each other so weren’t fully private

Question 4

Rutter and the ERA uses institutionalised children to speak on the issue of reversibility of privation
Why is using institutionalised children not great?

Answer 4

Adopted vs those who remained in institution can not be matched on all individual differences that made them get adopted

Question 5

Sleep spindle study that questions if privation is reversible

Answer 5

Recorded bursts of brain activity associated with congenital retardation (suggests genie was retarded from birth so her case isn’t relevant to reversibility)

BUT, genie’s developmental progress in response to treatment was uncharacteristic of one who is congenitally retarded

Question 6

What are the factors that affect reversibility

Answer 6

Age (rutter and era)
Nature of isolation (Genie vs bulldogs banK)
Quality of care post privation (czech twins good, genie and hodges and tizzard bad)

Question 7

Which case studies argue prication IS reversible

Answer 7

Rutter and ERA = age adopted
Bulldogs bank jewish orphans = nature of isolation
Czech twins = normal after high quality care but likely deprivation not privation
Hodges and tizzard = adopted children well but real mother didnt so reversible if good quality

Question 8

Issue of privated children case studies

Answer 8

Retrospective = cant accurately ascertain what actually happened through course of development

Question 9

Why is reversibility of privation as a topic not generalisable

Answer 9

Case studies unique with varying characteristics
Privation causes effects for all children