Romanian Orphan Studies: Institutionalisation

• What is the focus of research on maternal deprivation?

  Effects of deprivation on emotional development
• What tragic event in Romania in the 1990s influenced orphan studies?

  Institutional care and consequent institutionalization
• Who required Romanian women to have four children?

  Former President Nicolai Ceausescu
• What happened to many Romanian children after the 1989 revolution?

  Many were adopted by British parents
• What was the aim of the English and Romanian adoptee (ERA) study?

  • Investigate effects of good care
  • Assess recovery from poor early experiences
  • Follow Romanian orphans over time
• How many Romanian orphans were followed in the ERA study?

  165 Romanian orphans
• What was assessed at ages 4, 6, 11, 15, and 22-25 years in the ERA study?

  Physical, cognitive, and emotional development
• What was the control group in the ERA study?

  52 children from the UK adopted around the same time
• What signs did half of the adoptees show upon arriving in the UK?

  Delayed intellectual development and undernourishment
• How did the age of adoption affect recovery rates in the ERA study?

  Earlier adoption led to better recovery rates
• What was the mean IQ of children adopted before six months?

  Mean IQ of 102
• What was the mean IQ of children adopted between six months and two years?

  Mean IQ of 86
• What was the mean IQ of children adopted after two years?

  Mean IQ of 77
• What attachment style was observed in children adopted after six months?

  Disinhibited attachment
• What are symptoms of disinhibited attachment?

  Attention-seeking and clinginess towards all adults
• What did Zeanah et al.'s research assess in Romanian children?

  • Attachment types in institutionalized children
  • Comparison with a control group
  • Measurement using the Strange Situation
• What percentage of the control group was securely attached?

  74%
• What percentage of the institutional group was securely attached?

  Only 19%
• What unusual behavior was observed in 44% of the institutionalized children?

  Disinhibited attachment
• What are the effects of institutionalization on children?

  • Signs of disinhibited attachment
  • Difficulty forming secure attachments
  • Potential for intellectual disabilities
• How does Rutter explain disinhibited attachment?

  As an adaptation to multiple caregivers
• What did most children show upon arriving in Britain?

  Signs of intellectual disability
• What happened to most children adopted before six months?

  They caught up with the control group by age four
• What are the implications of the findings from orphan studies?

  • Early adoption can mitigate negative effects
  • Importance of stable caregiving
  • Need for further research on attachment
• What is a limitation of the orphan studies mentioned?

  Limited generalizability of findings
• What does the latest data suggest about adopted children?

  They may catch up with peers
• How do the findings of orphan studies contribute to understanding attachment?

  They highlight the importance of early experiences