Hodges and Tizard 1989 aims
To examine the effects of institutional upbringing on later attachment. Whether these can be reversed.
Procedure of Hodges and Tizard
Longitudinal.
Qualitative data.
In care until around 2.
65 children. 24 were adopted, 15 restored and 26 stayed in institutions.
2 control groups.
At age 4?
Most formed attachments.
1/3 were marked as attention seeking and disinhibited.
At age 8?
Majority formed close attachments.
More troublesome, attention seeking, unpopular, disobedient.
Adequate language and cognitive skills
At age 16?
Attached to mothers.
Fewer restored had good attachments.
Adopted were more likely to be attached to fathers, than those restored.
Less indiscriminate.
Findings of Hodges and Tizard
Deprivation didn’t prevent formation of later attachments. Attachments depended on family environment.
Positives of Hodges and Tizard
Longitudinal
Qualitative
Control groups
Natural observation
Applications
Negatives of Hodges and Tizard
Attrition
Extraneous variables
Social desirability
Small sample
What is institutionalisation?
Effects of growing up in an orphanage. Often suffer form a lack of emotional care and are unable to form attachments
Consequences of institutionalisation?
Make poor parents
Psychosocial dwarfism
Attachment disorder
Cognitive deficits
Example of psychosocial dwarfism
Genie Wiley. Cognitive age of 13 months at 13.
Quinton et al 1984
50 women raised in children’s homes vs raised at home. Those raised in institutions had difficulties. Lacked warmth. Were more likely to have their own children in care.
Rutter and Sonuga Barke 1998
165 Romanian orphans. (111 adopted before 2, 54 adopted after 12).
Compared to a control group of 52 British children adopted before 6 months.
Tested at regular intervals.
Interviewed parents.
Findings of Rutter and Sonuga Barke
Those adopted early caught up, those not had struggles.
1/3 adopted late required medical intervention.
Many adopted after 6 months showed disinhibited attachment
Chugani et al 2001
PET scans of 10 children adopted from Romanian orphanages.
Compared to 17 adults and 7 children.
Showed mild neurocognitive impairments, impulsivity, attention deficits.
Orphans showed decreased activity in prefrontal cortex, amygdala, brian stem, etc.
Reactive attachment disorder?
Shy and withdraw
Disinhibited attachment disorder?
Overfriendly and attention seeking
Bucharest early intervention study 2005 (Zeanah)
95 in institutions, 50 control.
SS.
74% of control were secure, only 19% of those institutionalised were secure
Institutionalised children are more likely to show what type of attachment?
Disinhibited
What was the mean IQ of Romanian orphans from Rutters study by 11 when they had been adopted before the age of 6 months?
102
