Orphan studies

• Orphan studies: These concern children placed in care because their parents can't look after them. An orphan is a child whose parents have either died or have abandoned them permanently.
• Institutionalisation: A term for the effects of living in an institutional setting. Refers to a place like a hospital or orphanage where people live for a long period of time. In these places little emotional care takes place. In the attachment topic it looks at how this can affect a childs development.
• Rutter et at (2011): Procedure -

  • Followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans for many years as part of the English and Romanian adoptee study.
  • The orphans were adopted by families in the UK.
  • They aimed to look at the extent to which good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions.
  • Physical, cognitive and emotional development was assessed at different points in the children's life's.
• Rutter et al (2011): Findings -

  • When the children first arrived they found that many had delayed intellectual development and were undernourished.
  • At 11 they showed different rates of recovery that were related to the age they were adopted.
  • For example those born before 6 months had a lower IQ than those adopted before 6 months.
  • Those adopted after 6 months also showed signs of a disinhibited attachment.
• Zeanah et al (2005): Procedure -

  • Conducted the Bucharest early intervention project, assessing attachment in 95 Romanian children who ad spent most of their life's in institutions.
  • They were compared to a control group.
  • Their attachment type was measure using the strange situation and social carers were asked to inform them of any unusual behaviour such as being clingy.
• Zeanah et al (2005): Findings -

  • 74% of the control group were securely attached.
  • Only 19% of the institutional group were securely attached, compared with 44% who had a disinhibited attachment.
• Disinhibited attachment: Children who have spent their early lives in n institution often show signs of disinhibited attachment. This mans they are friendly to everyone normally due to the fact they have multiple caregivers. This means they don't form a secure attachment with one specific person.
• Intellectual disability: Those children adopted before they were 6 months caught up with a control group after coming to the UK with an intellectual disability. Damage to intellect also takes place in institutions.
• Evaluation- Orphan studies (Strength):

  • Real-world application.
  • These studies improved the conditions of children growing up outside their family home.
  • By studying these affects psychologists now understand how to prevent these.
  • For example nurseries now use a key worker who plays a central role in a child's care.
  • This means that institutionalised children now have an opportunity to make a meaningful attachment.
• Evaluation- Orphan studies (Strength):

  • Fewer confounding variables.
  • Orphan studies before the Romanian ones had children with varying degrees of trauma, the Romanian orphans all had parents who were unable to take care of them.
  • This means the orphans were less likely to be confounded by other variables.
• Evaluation- Orphan studies (limitation):

  • Fewer confounding variables counterpoint.
  • Studying children from Romania may have introduced different confounding variables.
  • The quality of care was poor with children receiving little comfort.
  • The harmful affects may be caused by poor care not just the institutions care overall.
• Evaluation- Orphan studies (limitation):

  • Lack of adult data.
  • The latest data looked at the children in their early 20's.
  • This means we don't know if the late adopted children will ever catch up or understand the long term effects of institutionalisation.