Romanian Orphan Studies

Romanian Orphan Studies

1. The longer the child spent in an institution, the smaller their brains were

   • This consequented in higher levels opf ADHD in adulthood and lower IQ's
     • Highlighted the importance of providing enriched environments in early infancy and childhood

2. Evaluation

   • (CON) Lack of external validity - Culture relativism
     • (PRO) Practical application - Research into institutionalisaytion and the importance of early attatchment has led to children being assigned key workers
     • Romanian orphanages were perticularly bad
   • Age at sdoption is important - Mental retardation, attatchment issues, ADHD, autism and arrested brain development are all worse the later the adoption takes place.
   • Hodges and Tizard (1980) studied 65 children brought up in a children's home in London until they were around 4 years old. The care provided was of good quality, but carers were discouraged from forming attatchments with the children. By 8 years of age, those who were sdopted had formed a good attatchment with their adoptive parents.
   • The research has highlighted both the short term and long term effects of institutionalisation