Romanian orphan studies: effects of institutionalisation.

Question 1

What is institutionalisation?

Answer 1

The effect that institutional care has on an individuals development.

Question 2

What i institutionalisation in terms of attachment?

Answer 2

To describe the impact that an institution such as an orphanage can have on the development of children.

Question 3

What are four developmental effects?

Answer 3

Physical
Emotional
Cognitive
Social

Question 4

What did Gardener 1972 observe about children in institutional care?

Answer 4

They were physically small despite receiving adequate nourishment.

Question 5

What explanation did Gardner (1972) give for the children’s small stature?

Answer 5

A lack of emotional care, not poor nourishment, led to Deprivation Darwinism

Question 6

What development effect is associated with Gardner (1972)?

Answer 6

Physical - Specifically the impact of emotional deprivation on pjhysical growth.

Question 7

What was the aim of Hodges and Tizard’s (1989) study?

Answer 7

To investigate the effects of institutionalisation on children’s social development

Question 8

What was the key findings of Hodges and Tizard (1989) regarding adoptive relationships?

Answer 8

Adopted children formed strong bonds with parents, despite early deprivation.

Question 9

Waat social issue did children in the Hodges and Tizard (1989) study face?

Answer 9

They had difficulties forming peer relationships later in life.

Question 10

what developmental effect is primarily highlighted in Hodges and Tizard (1989)?

Answer 10

Social - Particularly peer relationship difficulties due to early institutional care.

Question 11

What groups were compared in Quinton et al’s (1984) study?

Answer 11

50 women raised in institutions vs. 50 women raised at home.

Question 12

What long-term effects was found in women raised in institutional care?

Answer 12

They were more likely to experience parenting difficulties, such as their own children being placed in care.

Question 13

what developmental effects does Quinton et al (1984) relate to?

Answer 13

Social - difficulties in fulfilling adult social roles (e.g. parenting.)

Question 14

What was the aim of Goldfarb’s (1943) study?

Answer 14

To investigate the long-term effects of institutionalisation on cognitive an emotional development.

Question 15

How were participants grouped in Goldfarb (1943) find about cognitive development?

Answer 15

Institutionalised children performed worse on IQ and cognitive tasks than fostered children.

Question 16

What emotional outcome was identified in Goldfarb (1943)?

Answer 16

Institutionalised children also showed poorer emotional functioning

Question 17

Which developmental effects are illustrated by Goldfarb (1943)?

Answer 17

Cognitive and emotional - institutional care harmed both intellectual ability and emotional adjustment.

Question 18

What is meant by “physical underdevelopment” in institutionalised children?

Answer 18

It refers to stunted physical growth not due to malnutrition but lack of emotional care (Deprivation Dwarfism)

Question 19

Which study supports the effect of physical underdevelopment due to institutionalisation?

Answer 19

Gardner (1979) - Observed that emotional deprivation can lead to Deprivation Dwarfism in children.

Question 20

What is “intellectual underfunctioning in the context of institutional care?

Answer 20

Lower cognitive performance (e.g. iQ, problem-solving) compared to children raised in stable foster care.

Question 21

What did Goldfarb (1943) find about intellectual development in institutionalised children?

Answer 21

Institutionalised children scored lower on IQ tests and cognitive tasks than those who were fostered before the age of 3.

Question 22

How does institutionalisation affects peer relationships according to Hodges and Tizard (1989)?

Answer 22

Even with strong bonds to adoptive parents, children had trouble forming friendships and relating to peers.

Question 23

What developmental domain is affected in Hodges and Tizard’s findings on peer relationships?

Answer 23

Social development - difficulty in peer interaction and building social connections.

Question 24

What is disinhibited attachment?

Answer 24

A type of attachment disorder where children show no preference for attachment figures and are overly friendly to strangers.

Question 25

What behaviours are typical of children with disinhibited attachment?

Answer 25

Over-familiarity, attention seeking, and lack of stranger anxiety.

Question 26

Which studies support the concept of disinhibited attachment?

Answer 26

Hodges and Tizard (1989) and Rutter et al. (2002) both found that institutionalised children often exhibited disinhibited attachment.

Question 27

How does institutionalisation relate to poor parenting in adulthood?

Answer 27

Individuals raised in institutional care are more likely to struggle with parenting, including having children who also end up in care.

Question 28

What did Quinton et al. (1984) find about women raised in institutions?

Answer 28

They experienced greater parenting difficulties in adulthood than those raised at home.

Question 29

Which animal study is often linked to the idea of poor parenting from early deprivation?

Answer 29

Harlow's monkey study - monkeys raised in isolation showed abusive or neglectful parenting behaviours later in life.

Question 30

What are quasi-autistic symptoms?

Answer 30

Autistic like patterns of behaviour such as difficulties in communication, social abilities, stereotypes and repetitive behaviours.

Question 31

Why did the roman Orphan studies investigate the children?

Answer 31

the development of these children has been studies to understand the effects of institutionalisation and privation on a child's physical, cognitive and social development.

Question 32

What was the aim of Rutter and Songua Barke (2010) study?

Answer 32

To investigate the development of children adopted from Romanian orphanages in the 1990s to the UK.

Question 33

What was the sample of Rutter and Songua Barke (2010) study?

Answer 33

165 Romanian children who spent their early years in Institutional care.

Question 34

How were the adoptees tested in the Rutter and Songua Barke (2010) study?

Answer 34

The adoptees were tested at regular intervals (ages 4, 6, 11, and 15 years), to asses their physical, cognitive and social development.

Question 35

How else was information gathered in the Rutter and Songua Barke (2010) study?

Answer 35

Information was also gathered through interview with parents and teachers.

Question 36

What was progress of the adoptees compared with in the Rutter and Songua Barke (2010) study?

Answer 36

Progress was compared with a British control group.

Question 37

What was a key finding at the time of adoption in Rutter and Songua Barke (2010) study, before the study?

Answer 37

All Romanian adoptees were developmentally behind the British control group.

Question 38

By what ages had most Romanian adoptees caught up developmentally?

Answer 38

By the age of 4, most had caught up with the British control group in terms of development.

Question 39

Which group of adoptees showed the greatest improvements in Rutter and Songua Barke (2010 study?

Answer 39

Children adopted before the age of 6 months showed the most improvement.

Question 40

What long-term social problems were seen in children adopted after 6 months?

Answer 40

Disinhibited attachments, quasi-autistic symptoms, and poor peer relationships.

Question 41

What did Rutter and songua Barke (2020) conclude about the severity of institutionalisation?

Answer 41

The consequences are not as sever if children are given the opportunity to form attachments after adoption.

Question 42

What factor increased the severity of outcomes in Rutter and Songua Barke (2010)?

Answer 42

lack of early attachment formation - especially in children adopted after 6 months.

Question 43

What is the significance of the 6 month mark in Rutter and Songua Barke (2010 study?

Answer 43

It suggest a sensitive period for attachment - children adopted after 6 months were more likely to show long-term developmental activities.

Question 44

Why is the Romanian orphan study being longitudinal a strength?

Answer 44

It tracks development oever time (ages 4, 6, 11, 15), revealing that both short and long term effects of institutionalisation, increasing validity.

Question 45

How does the use of a control group strengthen the Romanian Orphan studies?

Answer 45

The British control group provides a baseline for comparison, helping isolate the effects of institutional care and improving internal validity.

Question 46

How is the reliability of the Romanian Orphan studies supported?

Answer 46

Similar findings in other institutionalisation research (e.g. Hodges and Tizard) show consistent outcomes, increasing reliability.

Question 47

What is one practical application of the Romanian orphan studies?

Answer 47

findings led to changes in adoption policies and improves orphanage care, showing real-world value and increasing its external validity.

Question 48

What is a limitation of the developmental focus in the Romanian orphan studies?

Answer 48

It mainly asses physical, cognitive, social development, ignoring emotional or behavioural issues - reducing the overall insight.

Question 49

why is the study ending at 15 a limitation?

Answer 49

It prevents understanding of long-term outcomes into adulthood such as relationships or mental health.

Question 50

How do uncontrolled extraneous variables limit the Romanian orphan study?

Answer 50

Not all children had the same institutional experiences (e.g. quality of care, which reduces internal validity.)

Question 51

Why do post-adoption environments pose a limitation?

Answer 51

Variation sin adoptive families mean outcomes could be influences by later experiences not just institutionalisation.