Rutter (institutionalisation) Flashcards
(16 cards)
What is institutionalisation in psychology?
Institutionalisation refers to the effects of living in an institutional setting, such as an orphanage or hospital, where children often experience little emotional care for long, continuous periods.
What was the context behind the Romanian orphan studies?
Under Ceaușescu’s regime, abortion and contraception were banned, leading to thousands of abandoned children in underfunded Romanian orphanages, often suffering privation and poor conditions.
What are common effects of institutional care on children?
Less sociability, boredom, lower IQ, lack of interaction, emotional problems, and developmental delays.
Who conducted the English and Romanian Adoptee (ERA) study?
Michael Rutter in 2011.
What was the aim of Rutter’s ERA study?
To assess the long-term effects of institutionalisation and whether consistent care can reverse the effects of privation.
Describe the sample and method in Rutter’s ERA study.
165 Romanian orphans adopted into British families; longitudinal study comparing children adopted <6 months, 6–24 months, and >2 years with a control group of 52 British adoptees.
What were the key findings of the ERA study?
<6 months: Mean IQ 102
6m–2yrs: Mean IQ 86
2yrs: Mean IQ 77
Disinhibited attachment mostly seen in those adopted after 6 months.
Cognitive and emotional recovery was age-dependent.
What is disinhibited attachment?
A pattern where children show equal affection to strangers and caregivers, marked by attention-seeking and clinginess.
What did Rutter conclude about the timing of adoption?
Adoption before 6 months significantly reduces negative effects of institutionalisation. After that, emotional and intellectual damage is more likely to be severe.
What is privation and how does it differ from deprivation?
Privation is the failure to form any attachment at all, whereas deprivation is the loss or disruption of a previously formed attachment. Privation has more severe long-term effects.
What is deprivation dwarfism?
A physical condition where lack of emotional care causes stunted growth, despite adequate nourishment.
Give an example study showing the impact of emotional care on physical growth.
Gardner et al. studied an 8-month-old girl who was physically stunted due to a lack of emotional contact but grew after receiving emotional attention in hospital.
What strength of institutionalisation research is linked to real-life application?
It changed adoption policies—e.g., babies are now adopted earlier, often in the first week, to form secure attachments.
Why is the use of longitudinal studies a strength in this area?
It shows long-term effects and possible recovery from institutionalisation, revealing that negative impacts are not always permanent.
What is a key criticism regarding individual differences in institutionalisation research?
Not all children are affected equally. Some received special attention in orphanages, meaning outcomes vary, and institutionalisation doesn’t inevitably damage attachment.
Why are confounding variables a limitation in Romanian orphan studies?
Children faced multiple adversities (e.g., starvation, lack of stimulation), making it hard to isolate the effects of privation alone on development.
