Discuss the effects of institutionalisation. Refer to the studies of Romanian orphans in your
answer. (16 marks)
Institutionalisation is when a child is in residence outside of their home, in an institution
such as an orphanage or children’s home. Rutter and Songua-Barke in 2010 wanted to
investigate the effects of early institutional care and deprivation on later life development.
Particularly, whether later good care would compensate for neglect in early life. Romanian
orphans such as those studied by Rutter were raised in severely deprived institutional
settings, where they experienced minimal caregiver interaction, overcrowded conditions,
and little emotional warmth. They often suffered from poor nutrition, lack of cognitive
stimulation, and inconsistent or neglectful care. The study was longitudinal and a natural
experiment. Out of 165 Romanian orphan infants, the 58 that were adopted before six
moths of age quickly caught up and progressed with British children when adopted into
British families. The 59 children adopted after six months, and 48 adopted after two years of
age had further complications in adjustment and attachments. One third of the children
required educational, psychological and psychiatric professional intervention as a result of
improper attachment forming, social skills, behaviour or cognitive abilities. Characteristics
like that of Autism, referred to as Quasi-Autism, meant children struggled in understanding
social cues and contexts and displaying obsessional behaviours. Inappropriate behaviour
towards strangers, such as being overly friendly as opposed to a healthy wariness was also
found in the infants. Cognitive abilities were impaired; problems with concentration,
learning new behaviours and concepts and emotional regulation were all found over the
course of the study. Violent or delinquent behaviour, affectionless psychopathy (the absent
of guilt or remorse), and later difficulty forming and maintaining attachments were also
recorded.
Research into institutionalisation has had significant real-world applications, particularly in
improving child care practices. For example, Langton et al reported that findings from
Romanian orphan studies led to key changes in institutional settings, such as the use of key
workers to allow children to form stable attachments, improving the emotional care
provided. This highlights the practical value of the research. Another example of Rutter’s
research influencing policy is how in Sweden parents are entitled to 480 days of paid
parental leave per child reflecting the recognition of the importance of early attachments
and consistent caregiving. Therefore, the findings from institutionalisation studies have
contributed to global policy reforms and improved child welfare systems, showing their
lasting impact beyond academic research settings.
Confounding variables are limited due to natural occurence in the study. Most of the
children studied were placed in institutions from birth or soon after birth, meaning they
hadn’t suffered prior abuse, trauma or neglect. As a result, confounding variables are
reduced. Allowing for a more accurate study of the effects on institutionalisation. However,
the case of the Romanian orphan studies was an exceptional one. Financial struggles and
instability during the 1960’s lead to orphanages rapidly filling up. As such, the children were
left in poor conditions and caregivers and resources were spread thin. Each child was only
socialised with by a caregiver for as long as it took to carry out care tasks such as feeding or
answer. (16 marks)
Institutionalisation is when a child is in residence outside of their home, in an institution
such as an orphanage or children’s home. Rutter and Songua-Barke in 2010 wanted to
investigate the effects of early institutional care and deprivation on later life development.
Particularly, whether later good care would compensate for neglect in early life. Romanian
orphans such as those studied by Rutter were raised in severely deprived institutional
settings, where they experienced minimal caregiver interaction, overcrowded conditions,
and little emotional warmth. They often suffered from poor nutrition, lack of cognitive
stimulation, and inconsistent or neglectful care. The study was longitudinal and a natural
experiment. Out of 165 Romanian orphan infants, the 58 that were adopted before six
moths of age quickly caught up and progressed with British children when adopted into
British families. The 59 children adopted after six months, and 48 adopted after two years of
age had further complications in adjustment and attachments. One third of the children
required educational, psychological and psychiatric professional intervention as a result of
improper attachment forming, social skills, behaviour or cognitive abilities. Characteristics
like that of Autism, referred to as Quasi-Autism, meant children struggled in understanding
social cues and contexts and displaying obsessional behaviours. Inappropriate behaviour
towards strangers, such as being overly friendly as opposed to a healthy wariness was also
found in the infants. Cognitive abilities were impaired; problems with concentration,
learning new behaviours and concepts and emotional regulation were all found over the
course of the study. Violent or delinquent behaviour, affectionless psychopathy (the absent
of guilt or remorse), and later difficulty forming and maintaining attachments were also
recorded.
Research into institutionalisation has had significant real-world applications, particularly in
improving child care practices. For example, Langton et al reported that findings from
Romanian orphan studies led to key changes in institutional settings, such as the use of key
workers to allow children to form stable attachments, improving the emotional care
provided. This highlights the practical value of the research. Another example of Rutter’s
research influencing policy is how in Sweden parents are entitled to 480 days of paid
parental leave per child reflecting the recognition of the importance of early attachments
and consistent caregiving. Therefore, the findings from institutionalisation studies have
contributed to global policy reforms and improved child welfare systems, showing their
lasting impact beyond academic research settings.
Confounding variables are limited due to natural occurence in the study. Most of the
children studied were placed in institutions from birth or soon after birth, meaning they
hadn’t suffered prior abuse, trauma or neglect. As a result, confounding variables are
reduced. Allowing for a more accurate study of the effects on institutionalisation. However,
the case of the Romanian orphan studies was an exceptional one. Financial struggles and
instability during the 1960’s lead to orphanages rapidly filling up. As such, the children were
left in poor conditions and caregivers and resources were spread thin. Each child was only
socialised with by a caregiver for as long as it took to carry out care tasks such as feeding or
