romanian orphan studies

• TWO Effects of institutionalisation in the Romanian orphan study-

  Disinhibited attachment and damage to intellectual development
• What does disinhibited attachment mean?- Romanian orphan study.


  Child is friendly and affectionate towards people they know well and those who they know are strangers
• What does damage to intellectual development mean?-Romanian orphan study.

  Institutionalised children often show signs of mental retardation, this affect isn't as pronounced if the children are adopted before six months of age
• 3 DRAWBACKS TO THE ROMANIAN ADOPTEE STUDY AND THE BUCHAREST EARLY INTERVENTION PROJECT

  • issues with generalisability,unusual situational variables mean the studies may lack generalisability
  • children weren't randomly assigned to conditions, it removes the co-founding variable of some children being selected by parents, but raises ethical issues
  • longterm effects of early experience aren't yet clear,they may appear to have no issues NOW but may experience emotional problems as adults
• does failure to form an attachment BEFORE the age of 6m/o lead to long lasting effects?- Romanian child study


  yes, it leads to long lasting effects
• What were the key findings about the orphans' mental development?- rutter

  • Half the orphans showed mental retardation when they came to the UK
  • At 11 years old, recovery rates were related to their age of adoption:

  1. Those adopted before 6 months old had a mean IQ of 102
  2. Those adopted between 6 months and 2 years had a mean IQ of 86
  3. Those adopted after 2 years had a mean IQ of 77
• What was the longitudinal study about?

  The study tested the extent to which good care can make up for poor early experiences in institutions. It assessed the physical, cognitive and emotional development of the orphans at 4, 6, 11 and 15 years old, and compared them to a control group of 52 adopted British children.
• What were the findings about the orphans' attachment and behavior?

  • Clinginess, attention-seeking, and indiscriminate affection to strangers was apparent in children adopted after 6 months old, but not in those adopted before 6 months
  • In the "Strange Situation" test, only 19% of the institutionalized children were securely attached, while 65% had disorganized attachment
• What were the findings about the orphans' attachment and behavior?

  • Clinginess, attention-seeking, and indiscriminate affection to strangers was apparent in children adopted after 6 months old, but not in those adopted before 6 months
  • In the "Strange Situation" test, only 19% of the institutionalized children were securely attached, while 65% had disorganized attachment
• What were the key findings about the orphans' mental development?- rutter

  • Half the orphans showed mental retardation when they came to the UK
  • At 11 years old, recovery rates were related to their age of adoption:

  1. Those adopted before 6 months old had a mean IQ of 102
  2. Those adopted between 6 months and 2 years had a mean IQ of 86
  3. Those adopted after 2 years had a mean IQ of 77
• What was the longitudinal study about?

  The study tested the extent to which good care can make up for poor early experiences in institutions. It assessed the physical, cognitive and emotional development of the orphans at 4, 6, 11 and 15 years old, and compared them to a control group of 52 adopted British children.