Studies into institutionalisation

• Institutionalisation – the effect of institutional care, specifically how time spent in an institution such as orphanage ca affect the development of children
• Rutter et. al. (2011)


  Studied 165 Romanian children who spent early lives in institutions
• Children studied


  • 111 children adopted before the age of 2 years
  • 54 children adopted within 4 years
• Development testing


  1. Tested at ages 4, 6, 11 and 15

  2. Using interviews with parents and teachers
• At adoption


  • Romanian children all behind in development (socially, physically, seen as mentally retarded)
• Adopted before 6 months


  Some Romanian children caught up with British children by age 4
• Adopted after 6 months


  Showed significant deficits and signs of disinhibited attachment
• Highlighting the long-term consequences of institutionalisation
• Effects of Institutionalisation - Physical underdevelopment – lack of nourishment and emotional care can cause ‘deprivation dwarfism’ - Intellectual under functioning- emotional deprivation can affect cognitive development perform poorly with IQ. - Disinhibited attachment – a form of attachment where children treat nearstrangers with overfriendliness - Poor parenting – women raised in institutions experience extreme difficulties with acting as parents in later life