Romanian orphan studies

    Cards (9)

    • What is institutionalisation In context to Romanian orphan studies?
      Effects Of living in an institution like an orphanage for a long period of time where emotional care isn’t given.
    • What are disinhibited attachments in context to Romanian orphan studies?
      Effects of spending time in an institution. Children are equally as friendly and affectionate towards familiar people and strangers. This is unusual behaviour as most children after and during the age of 2 show stranger anxiety.
    • How did Rutter do his Romanian adoptee ERA study?
      Rutter (2011)- followed 165 Romanian orphans, they were adopted by families in uk. Aim-investigate extent to which good care could make up for early experiences in institutions. Physical, cognitive, emotional development assessed at ages 4,6,11,15& 22-25. Group of 52 children from uk adopted around the same time- control group- suggests kids adopted before 6 months caught up intellectually with control group by age 4.
    • What was the conclusion and findings of Ritter’s ERA study?
      When kids first arrived uk they had delayed intellectual development & majority severely under nourished. Depending on what age they were adopted they had dif rates of recovery. mean IQ of kid adopted before 6 months=102 for kids after 2yrs=86 betqween 2yrs-6=77. ADHD more common age 15-22-25 samples. adopted at 6 months showed disinhibited attachment symptoms=attention seeking, clinginess, social behaviour towards adults familiar+unfamiliar. Adopted before 6 months didn’t show this
    • How did Zeanah‘s (2005)do his Romanian orphan BEI study? (Buchares)
      Compared kids 12-31 month olds that lived in institutions to kids who never have. Attachment type was measured through strange situations. Carers asked about unusual behaviour including clingyness, attention seeking, inappropriate behaviour towards adults.
    • What did the Bucharest study find in Romanian orphan study BEI study?
      74% of control group securely attached in strange situations, 19% of institutional group securely attached. 44% of institutional kids disinhibitions attachments while less than 20% of the controls did. - suggests as kids in institutional had multiple caregivers in sensitive period and didn’t spend enough time with either one they were less likely to form a secure attachment
    • What is a strength of Romanian orphan studies? (Real world application)
      Real world application- improves psychologist understanding of early institutional care and how to prevent the worst effects (langton 2006)- improvements for children looked after in care. Institutional care now seen as undesirable and more effort put in to finding foster homes- suggests children in institutional Care have a chance to develop normally & disinhibited attachment avoided.
    • What is a strength of Romanian orphan studies? (Fewer confounding variables)
      Fewer confounding variables- children studied in orphanages before romanain orphanage studies had varied degrees of trauma-findings couldn’t be generalised from, however Romanian orphanages had kids handed from loving families that couldn’t afford to keep them- finding less likely to be confounded by negative early experiences (higher internal validity) counter- dif confounding variables as care was poor+little intellectual stimulation or comfort -suggests harmful effects represent poor institutional care.
    • Why is one limitation of Romanian orphan studies? (Lack of adult data)
      Lack of adult data- ERA looked at early-mid 20s we don’t have data to answer long term effects of institutional care, like mental health problems, success in relationships & parental relationships. It will take a long time to find this data because it is a longitudinal study(same p followed over long period of time)- suggests it will be a while before we know completely what the long term effects are, it may be possible the late adopted children catch up.