Romanian Orphan Studies (affects Of Institutionalisation)- Topic 8 Flashcards
(7 cards)
What is meant by an institution & what is privation ?
-An institution is a place where people live for a long time for example orphanages.
-Privation occurs when children have never formed an attachment an attachment which is more likely to happen in institutions if there’s a poor emotional care although it can happen also outside institutions in situations where there’s severe neglect.
What happened in Romania in the early 1980s ?
there was a regime that aimed to increase the population by not allowing abortion or contraception. Many families couldn’t look after their children so they were placed in orphanages where there was very little physical or emotional care and no cognitive stimulation.
What was Rutter et al’s ERA study?
Study aimed to investigate the extent in which good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions. 165 orphans were adopted by British families either before 6 months or after 6 months. Physical, cognitive and emotional development was assessed at 4, 6, 11 & 15 and 22-25 years, meaning it was a longitudinal study.
What were the results of the ERA study?
Those adopted before 6 months had better development than those adopted after 6 months.
What were the long term effects of those adopted AFTER six months?
-Delayed intellectual development: those adopted BEFORE 6 months had an IQ of 102 and the ones adopted AFTER had an IQ of 86, showing that the longer the children were institutionalised the lower their IQ so more delayed intellectual development.
-mental retardation: those adopted before 6 months caught up with the control by the age of 4, meaning that the care they were given helped them to be equal to the condition group.
-problems forming peer relations: they didn’t form an attachment so had no or a bad relationship template.
-disinhibited attachment: signs include low stranger anxiety, attention seeking and very affectionate to strangers, because they had no opportunity to form selective attachment leading to indiscriminate friendliness.
What was the Bucharest early intervention project?
Assessed the attachment in 95 children aged between 12-31 months who spent most their life in an institution and compared them to a control group who spent their life in a normal family. Findings were that only 19% of the institutionalised group had a secure attachment compared to 74% of the control group and 65% were classified to have a disorganised attachment, which is when an attachment is inconsistent leading to fear of close relationships making the person fearful and avoidant.
What are some evaluations?
-real life application, studying the Romanian orphans has enhanced our understanding of the effects of institutionalisations, meaning that improvements in the way the children are cared for in institutions has taken place.
-the Romanian orphanages were not typical, the conditions may have been so bad that results can’t be applied to understanding the impact of better quality institutional care.
