Romanian Orphan Studies: Effects of Institutionalisation Flashcards
(11 cards)
What was the aim of Rutter et al.’s (2011) ERA study?
To investigate if good care could make up for poor early institutional experiences in Romanian orphans adopted into UK families.
What were the key findings of the ERA study?
Children adopted before 6 months showed normal development; those adopted after 6 months had lower IQs and signs of disinhibited attachment.
What design did the ERA study use to track development?
Longitudinal study with a control group of UK-adopted children.
What did Zeanah et al.’s (2005) Bucharest Early Intervention Project find?
74% of institutionalised children showed disinhibited attachment compared to a control group.
What is disinhibited attachment?
A condition where children show equal affection to strangers and caregivers, lacking selective attachment.
What impact does institutionalisation have on intellectual development?
Children adopted after 6 months had significantly lower IQs.
How does institutionalisation affect emotional development?
It often leads to long-term difficulties in forming relationships and poor emotional regulation.
What is one strength of Romanian orphan studies in terms of real-world application?
Findings have improved childcare practices in institutions by emphasising stable attachments and fewer caregivers.
Why do Romanian orphan studies have higher internal validity?
They involve fewer confounding variables—children had similar experiences, reducing prior trauma influence.
What is a limitation regarding long-term outcomes in these studies?
Many children studied are still too young to assess adult development, so long-term mental health effects remain unclear.
What ethical issue is raised in evaluating these studies?
Social sensitivity—labelling children with low IQ or disinhibited attachment could lead to stigma or self-fulfilling prophecies.
