Romanian orphan studies

• Rutter was investigating whether or not the long term effects of institutionalisation could be reversed with loving and nurturing care. This is a longitudinal study incorporating a quasi experiment
• 165 romanian orphans were assessed in variety of ways including their head circumference, height, and cognitive functioning before they arrived for adoption in Britain
• All were then assessed again at age 4, 6, 11, 15. There was also a control group of 52 british adopted children to use as a comparison.

  Condition 1- Children were adopted before age of 6 months

  Condition 2- Children were adopted between age 6 months and 2 years

  Condition 3- Children were adopted after 2 years
• Findings-

  50% of Romanian orphans were found to have an IQ under 80-70. The average is 100

  They were also underweight (deprivation dwarfism). The control group had neither of these issues
• Findings- 4 years

  -At 4 yrs, romanian orphans showed great improvements

  -Those adopted before the age of 6 months were now doing aswell as British adopted children
• Findings- 11 years

  -At 11, the mean IQ scores for those adopted before age of 6 months was 102, compared with those adopted between 6 months and 2 years who had a mean IQ scores of 86, those adopted after 2 years had mean IQ of 77
• In terms of attachment, those adopted after the age of 6 months showed signs of a particular attachment style called disinhibited attachment. Symptoms include clingy, attention seeking directed to all adults even strangers
• Rutter stated that disinhibited attachment was an adaption to having multiple caregivers during the sensitive period for attachment formation. In poor quality institutions like those in Romania a child might have 50 carers none of whom they see enough to form a secure attachment
• These findings support the view that there is a sensitive period in the development of attachments- a failure to form an attachment before the age of 6 months appears to have long lasting effects