Romanian Orphan Study

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  • Created by: KayshaN
  • Created on: 21-02-17 12:43
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  • Romanian Orphans Studies
    • Background
      • Maternal deprivation reserach
      • Women had to have 5 children- couldn't not afford- orphanages
    • Research
      • Rutter's ERA
        • Procedure
          • Followed group of 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain.
          • Tested if extensive good care could make up for early exp in institutions.
          • Physical, Cognitve and emotional development assessed @ 4, 6, 11 and 15
          • Controlled group- 52 British adopted around the same time
        • Findings
          • Beginning half showed signs of mental retardation & undernourished
          • Aged 11- showed different rates of recovery, related to age of adoption.
            • Mean IQ of children adopted before six months old=102. Between six months and two year=86 and two years plus=77
          • Adopted after six months= disinhibited attachment (clinginess) to all adults. Adopted before six months= rarely displayed disinhibited attachment.
      • The Bucharest Early Intervention project
        • Procedure
          • Zeanah assessed attachment in 96 children. 12-31 months who spent most of life in institutions
          • Compared to a control group with children who never lived in institues
          • Attachment type found by strange situation
          • Careers asked about unusual social behaviours (clinging, attention seeking)
        • Findings
          • 74% control group= secure. 19% institutional group= secure. 65% institutional group= disorganised attachment
          • 44% institutional group= disinhibited attachment. Less than 20% control group= disinhibited.
    • Effects Of Institutionalisation
      • Disinhibited attachment
        • typical effect of spending time in instituion
        • Equally affectionate towards people they know well and strangers.
        • Highly unusual behaviour
        • Rutter= explained disinhibited attach as adaptation because lived with multiple caregivers during sensitive period  for attach to form
      • Mental Retardation
        • Rutters= most showed signs of this on arrival
        • But most who adopted b4 six months old caught up with control group by 4 years old.
        • Appears damage to intellectual development due to institutionalisation can be recovered provided adoption takes place b4 age of six months
    • Evalutaion
      • Real life application.
        • enhanced our understanding of effects of institutionalisation. Led 2 improvements in way children cared for. Children homes now avoid having many caregiver and children now have key worker.
      • Fewer extraneous variables than other orphan studied
        • most children who are orphaned have had traumatic experience which effects them. Very difficult to measure effect of institutionalisation when children experience more factors. Romanian orphans different. Increased internal validity
      • Ethical issues
        • Researchers didn't interfere with adoption process when they new if adopted earlier they wuld be more sociable
      • Long-term effects aren't clear yet
        • Orphans followed into teens but too soon to say if children suffered short or long term effects. Maybe children that spent longer in institutions and who are behind intellectually may still catch up. Equally adopted early may spear to have no issues but may have problems in adult hood.

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