- Discuss Romanian Orphan Studies 16 Marker Flashcards
(5 cards)
AO1 Paragraph 1: Overview of Romanian Orphan Studies
Romanian orphan studies refer to research investigating the effects of institutionalization on children, particularly those raised in Romanian orphanages during the late 20th century. Following the fall of the Communist regime in Romania in the early 1990s, researchers had an opportunity to study the development of children who had been placed in orphanages due to neglect, poverty, or family breakdown. One of the most influential studies was the Rutter et al. (2010) study, which followed a group of Romanian orphans who were adopted by British families. The study aimed to understand the long-term effects of early deprivation on cognitive, emotional, and social development. The research found that children who had been in institutional care for longer periods exhibited more severe developmental delays, particularly in terms of attachment, cognitive abilities, and social behavior. However, the study also revealed that many children who were adopted before the age of six months showed near-normal development, suggesting the importance of the age at which children are removed from institutional care.
AO1 Paragraph 2: Key Findings and Concepts
Romanian orphan studies have highlighted several key issues related to the effects of early deprivation. Disinhibited attachment is one such effect, where children show inappropriate behavior toward strangers, such as seeking attention from anyone they encounter. This was notably observed in children who had been institutionalized for extended periods before being adopted. In terms of cognitive development, the studies showed that children who experienced institutional care for longer periods exhibited lower IQ scores and more pronounced cognitive delays. A key factor influencing outcomes is the age of adoption; children adopted before six months of age tended to fare better than those adopted later. This has led to the conclusion that there is a sensitive period for attachment development, after which recovery from the effects of early deprivation becomes more difficult. The research by Beckett et al. (2006) also demonstrated that children who were adopted before the age of two had better outcomes in terms of attachment and emotional development compared to those who were adopted later.
AO3 Paragraph 1: Strength - High External Validity
One of the strengths of Romanian orphan studies is their high external validity. The studies involved a large number of children, which makes it easier to generalize the findings to other children who have experienced institutional care. Additionally, the studies were not conducted in a laboratory setting, which means they have higher ecological validity compared to other studies on attachment, which often rely on artificial environments. The Romanian orphanages were also notably poor, with severe lack of emotional and physical care, providing an extreme case of institutional care. This allowed researchers to observe the effects of extreme deprivation, making the findings particularly useful for understanding the potential consequences of neglect in early life.
AO3 Paragraph 2: Limitation - Ethical Issues
A limitation of the Romanian orphan studies is the ethical concerns surrounding the research. Although the studies were highly valuable in providing insights into the effects of early deprivation, the situation in the Romanian orphanages raised significant ethical questions. Many of the children involved in the studies were subjected to neglect and poor conditions prior to being adopted, raising concerns about the potential harm caused by these experiences. Additionally, it is difficult to determine how much of the observed effects can be attributed to the institutionalization itself versus other variables, such as pre-existing conditions or the trauma of being separated from their birth families. Furthermore, while the adoption process was beneficial for many of the children, the fact that some of them had already experienced severe deprivation may have limited the ability to fully assess the impact of later interventions.
AO3 Paragraph 3: Limitation - Lack of Control
Another limitation of the Romanian orphan studies is the lack of control over certain variables. While the studies followed the children in a longitudinal manner, they were not able to fully control for all the factors that might affect development. For example, although the researchers controlled for the age of adoption, they could not control for the quality of the adoptive homes or the backgrounds of the adoptive parents. It is possible that some children experienced better or worse outcomes depending on their individual family circumstances, which could confound the results. Additionally, the children adopted from the orphanages were not randomly assigned to adoptive families, so it is difficult to make causal conclusions about the effects of early deprivation versus the effects of a stable family environment.
