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Effects of institutionalisation, Bowlby (1944) compared 44 juvenile…

- - - - This was a longitudinal study, incorporating a quasi-experiment. The IV was the age of the adoption, with three age groups being studied.
        
        Condition 1 - children adopted before six months.
        Condition 2 - children adopted between six months and two years.
        Condition 3 - children adopted after two years.
        
        The DV was the children's level of cognitive functioning.
        
        111 Romanian orphans were assessed for cognitive functioning on arrival in Britain, and when they were aged four.
      - Findings
        
        Around 50% of the Romanian orphans were poor in cognitive functioning at initial assessment. Most were also underweight. A control group of 52 British adopted children did not show these deficits.
        
        At age four years, the Romanian orphans showed great improvement in physical and cognitive development, with the orphans adopted before six months of age doing as well as the British adopted children.
        
        Conclusion
        
        The negative effects of institutionalisation can be overcome by sensitive nurturing.
        
        As the British adopted children (who have been separated from their mothers) did not suffer negative developmental outcomes, we can infer that separation from carers will not on its own accord to negative developmental effects.
        
        Evaluation
        
        Children had at that point only been assessed up to the age of four years. So subsequent follows-up will try to assess the long-term effects of institutionalisation and the effects of subsequent enriching environments.
        
        Only some of the children received detailed clinical investigations. So it is difficult to fully generalise the findings.
        
        Because the children were not studied while in the remaining orphanages, it is not possible to state which aspects of probation were most influential.