Institutionalisation

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Created by
Oliver Beek

Cards (7)

  • Who investigated institutionalisation and when?
    Rutter et al. (2011)
  • What did Rutter et al. (2011) investigate?
    Institutionalisation - romanian orphan study
  • What was the aim of the Romanian Orphan Study?
    to investigate whether good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions
  • What was the method of the Romanian Orphan Study?
    • natural experiment + longitudinal
    1. 165 Romanian orphans adopted by UK families
    2. (control) 52 UK children adopted by UK families
    3. children assessed at ages 4, 6, 11, 15 for physical, cognitive and social development
    • children adopted at different ages (e.g. 111 adopted by age 2, further 54 adopted by age 4)
  • What were the findings from the Romanian Orphan Study?
    1. when children arrived they were smaller, weighed less, and half were classified as mentally retarded
    2. At age 4, all children adopted before 6 months caught up with UK control group
    3. At age 11, children showed different rates of recovery related to age of adoption
    4. Children adopted after the age of 2, had a lower IQ than those who were adopted before 6 months, and between 6 months and 2 years
    5. quasi-autistic symptoms and ADHD common in children adopted after 6 months
  • What conclusions can be made about the Romanian Orphan Study?
    • Supports Bowlby's view that there is a sensitive period of attachment
    • Effects of institutionalisation can be reversed if adopted before age of 6
    • Longer spent in institutions, more severe effects (e.g. lower IQ)
  • What is the AO3 for the Romanian Orphan Study?
    :) Applications - improvements in the way that children are cared for in institutions (introduction of key worker) & improvements in the adoption process (e.g. emphasis on early adoption)
    :( Confounding variables - low IQ may be due to lack of stimulation rather than lack of attachment (or longer period of malnutrition)
    :( Issues of generalisation - conditions of care were so dire, they are not typical of orphanages (lacks internal validity(