effects of institutionalisation - romanian orphan study

• rutter did the key study for institutionalisation - english and romanian adoptee study
• institutionalisation - effects of living in institutional setting
• institution - place, like hospital or orphanage where children live for long, continuous periods of time
• orphan studies - concern children placed in care because parents can no longer look after them
• orphan - child whose parents have either died or have abandoned them perminantely
• orphan studies have been used to research effects of deprivation
• romania in 1990s was used within key study because it was suitable for effects of institutionalisation for attachment

  • president required romanian women to have 5 children - many parents could not afford to keep their children so then they ended up having put their children in huge orphanages with poor conditions
  • after 1989 revolution - many children were adopted by british parents
• key study - rutter - english and romanian adoptee study

  • aimed to investigate extent to which poor early experiences in institutions affect individuals long term development + if good care can make up for poor early experiences
• procedure for romanian adoptee study - rutter

  • followed 166 romanian orphans adopted to britian
  • physical, cognitive and emotional development was assessed at ages 4,6,11,15
  • control group = 52 british children adopted around same time
• findings for Romanian adoptee study - rutter

  • when first arriving to UK - hald adoptees showed signs of delayed intellectual development + malnourished
  • age 11 - adopted children showed differential rates or recovery that related to their age of adoption - adopted before 6 months (IQ of 102), adopted between 6 months and 2 years (IQ of 86), adopted after 2 years (IQ of 77)
  • those adopted after 6 months showed signs of disinhibited attachment
  • those adopted before 6 months rarely displayed disinhibited attachment
• additional findings from rutters adoptee study

  • most children showed signs of retardation when arrived
  • most adopted before 6 months caught up with control group by age 4
  • appears damage to intellectual development as result of institutionalisation can be recovered providing adoption takes place before 6 months
• disinhibited attachment

  • result of spending time in institution
  • individuals are EQUALLY friendly and affectionate towards people they know and those that they have just met - unusual behaviour due to no signs of stranger anxiety
  • rutter explained disinhibited attachment is adaption to living with multiple caregivers during sensitive period which attachment formation would occur
  • in institutions - orphans had up to 50 carers who they wont see often enough to form secure attachment
• conclusion to rutters romanian adoptee study

  • poor early experiences in institution appears to have affect on long term development
  • if child receives good care early on (before 6 months) then effects can be limited or removed
• evaluation points for effects of institutionalisation

  • individual differences
  • real life application
  • longitudinal studies
  • lacks generalisability
• individual differences (-) as eval point for effects of institutionalisation

  • criticism of institutionalisation research - individual differences of those studied plays important role - not considered
  • research suggests individuals who dont form attachment in sensitive period - unable to recover (attachment no longer able to form) - not true for all children
  • some children are less affected by institutionalism - potential of them receiving special attention (result of smiling) - stronger attachment bond
  • theory cant be applied to every orphan as result of individual differences - not universal
• real life application (+) as eval point for effects of institutionalisation

  • using study of romanian orphans - increases understanding of effects institutions have on people
  • improvements in how children are cared for in institutions - been implemented
  • example - awareness of effects institutions have on attachment - children in care now only have 1/2 key workers who play central role in childs care - change allows child to develop normal attachments and avoid disinhibited
  • research studies beneficial as allow researchers to recommend positive changes - allowed changes to support attachment
• longitudinal studies (+) effects of institutionalisation

  • strength of romanian orphan studies is that they were longitudinal research into effects of institutionalisation
  • in rutters ERA study - childrens development was tracked over 11 years
  • tracking progress over time allows researchers to see both short and long term effects institutions had on individuals
  • completing longitudinal study - allows us to understand the effects of institutionalism at different points across life - e.g. seeing development of IQ over years
• lacks generalisability (-)

  • romanian studies lack generalisability due to severity of conditions such institutions in romania are in - levels of care usually poorer and does not apply to all cases equally
  • differing variables (extreme poor conditions) limits generalisability