Institutionalisation

• What is Institutionalisation?

  When children are cared for by the state
• What happens when one stays in an institution for too long?

  Extended stays in institutions such as children homes and hospitals It can alter behaviour such as adoption rules and norms of institution.
• Why do Institutions lead to altered behaviour?

  They are unable to provide the same level of physical and emotional care to young children as families.

  INSTITUTIONALISATION is thought to influence childhood development negatively.
• What is the Difference between Deprivation and Privation?

  Deprivation is not receiving suitable emotional care from a primary attachment figure; this can happen when there are extended absences of the primary caregiver.

  Privation is when there is a total lack of care so there is no ability to form an attachment bond.
• What is the main Study used for studying Institutionalisation?

  Romanian Orphan Studies
• In the Romanian Orphan Studies was it deprivation or privation that occured?

  Institutional Privation
• What led to the discovery of the children in the orphanages?

  The fall of the Romanian Government in 1990
• What was discovered after the government fell?

  An estimate of 170,000 abandoned children living in privation in orphanages.
• What did the children in these Orphanages lack?

  Physical and emotional care from staff.

  • Many of the children were malnourished and abused.

  Many of the children were adopted into loving western family.
• How did varying age in adoption help researchers?

  Allowed them to conduct a natural experiment and a longitudinal study on 165 Romanian Orphans on the effect of institutionalisation on the children who were adopted into British families
• What was the name of the researcher who studied Instituitonalisation

  RUTTER
• What was Rutter's Procedure?

  The Romanian Children were grouped into those adopted while under six months between 6 months and 2 years as well as those older than 2 years.

  • A control group of British Adoptees children who had experienced privation were used as the control group.

  Each group was assessed at the ages 4,6,11 and 15
• What was RUTTER's Main FINDINGS?

  At age 6: Children adopted 6 months showed disinhibited attachment, an overly friendly behaviour to strange adults.

  • This was more common in those adopted after 2 years old.

  At age 11: Over half of the children who showed disinhibited attachment at 6 still had this behaviour.

  • Children adopted after 6 months showed significant delay in physical, emotional and intellectual development.

  - Those adopted after 24 months has an average IQ = 77 compared to those adopted under 6 months = 102 IQ.

  Intellectual problems continued at 15-year follow up
• What happened to children adopted late?

  Small number of cases - Quasi - autism tendencies was identified with the children struggling to understand social contexts.
• What does Rutter's Research Suggest?

  Adoption within the first 6 months is important as the rate of recovery depends on age of adoption.

  The effects of privation in institution are severe and long-lasting; however many children even adopted after 2 years show recovery.

  • Suggests the critical period bowlby argued is actually sensitive as suggested by other researchers.
• EVALUATION - STRENGTH

  REAL LIFE APPLICATION

  This research has led to changes in policies around adoption and care in orphanages and other institutional setting.

  For example, critical care workers in institutions giver higher level of care to infants.

  Focus on ensuring early age adoption and adoptive families are carefully screened.
• EVALUATION - STRENGTH

  RESEARCH SUPPORT

  Supports other theories of deprivation/privation.

  Challenges critical period proposed by Bowlby