DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY - Failure to form attachment (privation)

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY - Failure to form attachment (privation)

1. Failure to form attachment: institutional care

   • KEY STUDY: HODGES & TIZARD
     • What did they do?
       • 65 British children institutionalised before 4 months old.
       • 70% described as not able 'to care deeply about anyone'
     • What did they find?
       • Most left the institution and were either adopted or restored.
         • Restored children less likely to form attachments.
           • Adopted children were as closely attached as control group.
       • All had problems with peers: were less likely to have a special friend, more quarrelsome, more likely to be bullies - disinhibited attachment.
     • Conclusion
       • Early privation had negative effects even with good substitute emotional care.
         • Support Bowlby - sensitive period
   • Romanian orphanages
     • 100 orphans, adopted before and after 6 months.
     • Before: 'normal' emotional development when compared to UK children.
       • After: disinhibited attachments, problems with peers.
     • Conclusion: LT consequences can be less severe if children have opportunity to form attachments.

2. Evaluation

   • Poor parenting
     • Harlow: monkeys went on to become poor parents
     • Ex-institutional women had difficulties caring for their kids.
   • Deprivation dwarfism
     • Girl was not cuddled by mum because she had tube - malformation.
     • Admitted - attention - returned to normal despite no change in diet.
   • Privation is only 1 factor
     • With Romanian orphans, 1/3 recovered well. Privation is not only factor. Possibly: poor subsequent care, insecure attachment with early separations + parental disharmony.
   • Privation / rejection?
     • Cannot be sure of privation - maybe problems were due to other factors e.g. feelings of rejection.
   • Long term effects
     • Cannot be sure of effects of privation in later life. Maybe children with privation just need more TIME to recover with the right care.

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