ATTACHMENTS : Romainian Orphans Flashcards
(12 cards)
Context of the romainian orphans
1989: revolution or overthrow President Nicolae Ceausescu
- this was because he created a policy encouraging high brith rates, including banning abortion and contraception
- each female expected to raise 5 children or get taxed
- families could not afford to raise their children
- led to thousands of kids being in abandoned in state-run orphanages in terrible conditions
CONDITIONS
- minimal care or stimulation
- low caregiver-to-child ration; child recieved little attention or care
- poor physical care and under stimulation led to severe developmental delays
Aim of the Rutter et al. 1998 English and Romanian Adoptees study
- to investigate the long term effects of institutionalisation on child development
Method of the Rutter et al. 1998 English and Romanian Adoptees
- followed 165 orphans adopted in Britain to test what extent good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions
- LONGITUDINAL STUDY
- physical, cognitive and emotional development was assed at ages 4, 6, 11, 15
- a group of 52 British children adopted around the same time served as the control group.
Findings of the Rutter et al. 1998 English and Romanian Adoptees
(Initial symptoms)
(IQ)
(Attachment)
- when they first arrived in the uk, 1/2 the adoptees showed signs of mental retardation (delayed intellectual development) and majority was severely malnourished
- at age 11 the adopted children showed different rates of recovery that were related to their age of adoption.
- The IQ of those adopted before 6 months: was 102 average
- those adopted between 6 months and 2 years : 86
- adopted after 2 years: 77
- these differences remained at age 16 (Beckett et al 2012)
- children adopted after 6months: disinhibited attachment
- this may because they haven’t had a specific attachment formed, so they jsut want attention, hence these traits:
- attention seeking
- clinginess
-social behavior directed at all adults, both familiar and unfamiliar.
Name the three main effects of institutionalisation
1) disinhibited attachment
2) mental retardation (delayed intellectual development)
3) emotional and social development
Describe disinhibited attachment
- children who are equally friendly and affectionate towards people they know well or who are strangers.
- this is highly unusual behaviour (as children in their 2nd year show stranger anxiety)
- Rutter 2006: explained that this was an adaptation to living with multiple caregivers during the critical period
Zeanah et al 2005. Romanian-based study:
- compared 136 Romanian children who had spent 90% of their lives in an institution, to a control group of Romanian children who had never been in an institution
- children aged 12-31 months were assessed in the strange situation
74% of the control group were securely attached to
19% of the institutionalised group were securely attached to
65% were classified as disorganised attachment (mix of resistant and avoidant)
44% were classified as disinhibited attachment
Describe mental retardation (delayed intellectual development)
- in Rutters studies, majority of orphans had symptoms of this as they first arrived in UK
- but those who were adopted before 6 moths caught up to the control group by age 4
• Like emotional development, damage to intellectual development as a result of institutionalisation can be recovered provided adoption takes place before 6 months of age
Describe emotional and social development
• Children may experience more issues with emotional development - temper tantrums/show more attention seeking behaviour.
• Impaired language and social skills (difficulty understanding social contexts).
Kreppner et al (1999) found lower frequency of pretend play and reduced empathy.
QUASI_AUTISM : a set of features resembling autism that can arise in children who have experience prolonged early institution deprivation
The positive evaluation for the Romanian orphans
- it has enhanced psychologists understanding of the effects of institutionalisation
- Langton 2006 suggested that such knowledge developed through this research has changed the way children in institutions are cared for
E.g orphanages and children home avoid having a large number of caregivers per child (one or two people /keyworkers per child)
This is a strength because, having a key worker means that children have the chance to develop normal attachments and helps to avoid disinhibited attachment types. This shows that research into institutionalisation has been immensely valuable in practical terms.
The negative evaluation of the Romanian orphans
The Romanian orphanages were not typical (-)
• However, a problem with the Romanian orphans is that they were not typical.
- For example, Romanian orphanages had particular poor standards of care, especially when it came to forming any new relationships with the children, and extremely low levels of intellectual stimulation.
- This is a limitation of the Romanian orphans study because the unusual situational variables means that studies may lack generalisability and therefore, the findings cannot be applied to the understanding of the impact of better quality care institution
The long term effects are not yet clear (-)
• the studies have not followed up fostered and adopted orphans into their mid-teen years and found some lasting effects of early experience, however, it is too soon to say with certainty whether children suffered short or long term effects.
• It may be that the children who spent longer in institutions and currently lag behind in intellectual development may still catch up as adults.
• Equally, early adopted children who appeared to have no issues may now experience emotional problems as adults
Deprivation is only one factor, other confounding variables existed (-)
• Study is reductionist: fails to account for other factors besides deprivation
• Romanian orphans were faced with much more than emotional deprivation: poor physical conditions which impacted health, lack of cognitive stimulation would affect development
• Poor care in infancy is followed by poor subsequent care e.g. living in poverty, parental disharmony… (Turner and Lloyd (1995)
• Thus, likely the effects of institutional care go beyond emotional deprivation.
The Bucharest early intervention project:
Procedure
Zeanah et al(2005) assessed attachment in 95 children ages 12-31 months who has spent 90% of their lives in institutional care. They were compared to 50 children who had never lived in an institution. Their attachment type was measured through the strange situation. Carers were asked about unusual social behaviour(disinhibited attachment).
The Bucharest early intervention project:
Findings
-74% of the control group were securely attached. Only 19% of the other children were securely attached,65% were classified with disorganised attachment.44% of institutionalised children had disinhibited attachment compared to less than 20% of the control group.
