Institutionalisation

• What was the procedure of Rutter’s ERA (2011) study?


  Longitudinal, natural experiment.

  Followed group of 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain.

  Physical, cognitive and emotional development assessed at 4, 6 11 and 15.

  Group of 52 British children adopted at similar times= control group
• What were the findings on IQ for Rutter's ERA study?

  Adopted before 6 months: IQ= 102

  Adopted between 6 months and 2 years: IQ= 86

  Adopted after 2 years: IQ= 77
• What were the findings for Attachment type for Rutter's ERA study?

  Adopted after 6 months= dis-inhibited attachment Adopted before 6 months rarely showed dis-inhibited attachment
• Conclusion of Rutters ERAS study

  Intellectual development that is damaged can be recovered provided that adoption takes place before 6 months
• What was the procedure of The Bucharest Early Intervention Project- Zeanah et al. (2005)?


  • Had experimental and control group. Experimental= 95 children between 12 and 31 months who had spent most of early lives in institutional care
  • Control group= 50 children who never experienced institutional care.
  • Attachment type of both groups tested using Strange Situation and carers asked for behavioural characteristics of children (e.g. clinginess)
• What were the findings of The Bucharest Early Intervention Project?

  74% of control group= securely attached 65% of institutional group= disorganised attachment/44%= dis-inhibited attachment