Romanian Orphan Studies (Attachment) - AQA Psychology

• Orphan Studies


  These concern children placed in care because their parents cannot look after them. An orphan is a child whose parents have either died or have abandoned them permanently. After 1989 revolution many of the children were adopted from Romania, some by British parents.
• Institutionalisation


  - The term for the effects of living in an institutional setting- Concerned with how time spent in an institution can affect the development; some effects may be irreversible - The possible effects include social, mental and physical underdevelopment
• Rutter's ERA Study: Procedure

  - Rutter et al. (2011) followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain to test to what extent good care could make up for poor early experiences - Physical, cognitive and emotional development was assessed at ages 4,6,11 and 15 years - A group of 52 British children adopted around the same time were used as a control group
• Rutter's ERA Study: Findings

  - Adoptees showed signs of intellectual disability and majority were severely undernourished- The mean IQ of children adopted before age of 6 months was 102 compared with 86 for those adopted between 6 months and 2 years and 77 for those adopted after 2 years- These differences remained at age 16
• The Bucharest Early Intervention Project: Procedure


  Zeanan et al. (2005) assessed attachment in 95 children aged 12-13 months who had spent most their lives in institutional care - 90% on average Compared to a control group of 50 children who'd never lived in institutions Attachment types were measured using strange situation
• Effects of Institutionalisation: Disinhibited Attachment

  - A behaviour pattern shown by some children who were raised in institutions. Attention seeking towards adults, lacks fear of stranger (vulnerable to kidnapping), inappropriate contact with adults, clinginess, lack of checking back for parents in stressful situations
• Effects of Institutionalisation: Intellectural disability?

  - In Rutter's study most children showed signs of intellectual disability when they arrived in Britain - Those adopted before 6 months caught up by age 4- It appears that, like emotional development, damaged to intellectual development as a result of institutionalisation can be recovered provided adoption takes place before 6 months
• AO3 S - (P) Real-life application

  (E) Results led to improvements on the way that children are cared for in institutions (Langton, 2006)(C) Research has been immensely valuable in practical terms
• AO3 S - (P) Further real-life application - importance of early adoption

  (E) In the past, mothers were encouraged to nurse baby for significant period of time. By the time the baby was adopted the sensitive period of attachment may have passed(C) Now, most babies are adopted within the first week of birth (Stringer et al.). This demonstrates how research has led to major social changes in the way children are adopted
• AO3 W - majority of research is longitudinal


  meaning long term consequences are measured allowing psychologist to determine many effects disappear over time however only followed up until teens so unsure how adult relationships are effected or experience emotional problems as adults, the long term consequences are uncertain
• also suffered appalling physical conditions

  impacting health and lack of cognitive stimulation, unclear what caused later social and intellectual damage difficult to apply findings to other situations.