Findings

• When first arriving in the UK the children showed signs of delayed intellectual development and the majority were severely malnourished

  At the age of 11 the adopted children showed different rates of recovery that were related to age of adoption
• IQ - the mean IQ of the children adopted before 6 months was 102 , compared with 86 for those adopted between 6 months to 2 years and 77 for those adopted after 2 years

  Differences remained at age 16

  Negative correlation between age at adoption and intellectual development at age 4 however most of those adopted before 6 months has caught up with the control group by this time
• Attachment Type - Children adopted after 6 months showed signs of disinhibited attachment style
• Disinhibited Attachment Style

  Attention Seeking

  Clinginess

  Social behaviours directed indiscriminately towards adults

  • Very unusual as most children would show stranger anxiety
• Rutter said..

  Disinhibited attachment was an adaptation to living with multiple caregivers during the sensitive period
• Those adopted before 6 months rarely showed a disinhibited attachment style