2... Effects OF Privation PDF

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EFFECTS OF PRIVATION It is generally accepted that the effects of privation are more extreme than those of deprivation/separation and can negatively affect social, emotional and cognitive functioning It is not possible for ethical reasons to carry out controlled studies of privation with children So much of the evidence showing cause and effect have come from animal research Negative effects of privation are IRREVERSIBLE Negative effects of privation are REVERSIBLE STUDIE HARLOWS’S MONKEYS KOLUCHOVA (1991) Showed inappropriate & delinquent social behaviour when they Followed the long term development of twin boys who had suffered severe privation in early childhood. S are placed in the company of other monkeys. Between the ages of 18 months-7 years they had been locked in a cellar & physically abused and moved into care at age 7 They showed signs of being AGGRESSIVE towards others, UNABLE At the age of 9 they were fostered with 2 sisters. TO FORM NORMAL RELATIONSHIPS & ATTACKED any monkey In a LONGITUDINAL STUDY the twins were assessed at intervals over 22 years for INTELLECTUAL & SOCIAL ABILITY that tried to mate with them. RESULTS  at 7 years, they had no speech, were suffering from malnutrition & totally lacking in social ability. If they did have offspring, the deprived mothers were extremely By 10 years, they were attending a mainstream school & were assessed as having AVERAGE intelligence and showing POOR, NEGLECTING MOTHERS NORMAL ATTACHMENTS to their adoptive family This study demonstrates the extreme consequences of privation In a follow up study in 1991 they were reported to have TOTALLY RECOVERED & showed NO PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS As adults both twins have completed vocational training, are married and have their own families. CONC the effects of severe privation CAN BE OVERCOME with appropriate treatment and care Evidence for the effects of privation has also come from case AGE RELATED BENEFITS OF ADOPTION studies of children who have been raised in conditions of neglect RUTTER (1998) Investigated the progress of 111 Romanian orphans brought to Britain for adoption in the 1990’s and had been raised in very poor CURTISS (1977) institutions in Romania, with little chance to develop close attachments THE CASE STUDY OF GENIE They were assessed on PHYSICAL & MENTAL LEVELS  height, head circumference, general cognitive levels on ARRIVAL Suggests that severe privation has permanent effects Then further assessed periodically until 4 years of age Genie had been severely neglected & maltreated by her parents. A control group of 52 British adopted children were also tested to see whether it was SEPARATION FROM THE MOTHER or At 13 she was UNABLE TO SPEAK, PHYSICALLY UNDERDEVELOPED The SEVERE CIRCUMSTANCES that was responsible for any negative effects & showed INAPPROPRIATE EMOTIONAL RESPONSES RESULTS  Approx 50% of the Romanian group showed INTELLECTUAL DEFECITS at the start and most were very UNDERWEIGHT Despite being fostered, Genie apparently never recovered from her years of privation, although there was a suggestion that other 4 years later the 2 groups of adopted children showed NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES in either physical or mental development HOWEVER  children who arrived in Britain BEFORE the age of 6 MONTHS tended to show MORE MARKED IMPROVEMENT factors may have contributed to her problems. CONC  the negative outcomes of privation shown by Romanian children should be OVERCOME through ADEQUATE SUBSTITUTE CARE. They also concluded that separation from the mother ALONE is NOT SUFFICIENT to cause negative outcomes as the British children had been separated but were not developmentally delayed. EVAL GENIE STUDY  some have argued that she already had mental RUTTERS STUDY problems/ was mentally retarded from birth + The situation of the Romanian orphans provide a fairly UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY for psychologists to study the effects of SEVERE privation in a LARGE SAMPLE of human participants (because of the mental health issues of her parents) Previous privation research has been limited to ANIMAL STUDIES/CASE STUDIES of SINGLE individuals in extreme circumstances ANIMAL STUDIES  these are difficult to GENERALISE + Can be used if experiment is too unethical for humans - Despite having been raised in extremely deprived conditions – the extent of human contact the Romanian children had experienced & their individual circumstances VARIED CONSIDERABLY this may have had an IMPACT on the effects of privation. - Problem of anthropomorphism  cannot generalise from animals to humans Although Rutter’s original study suggests that severe institutional deprivation CAN be overcome, CASE STUDIES more recent research has NOT been as positive, especially for those adopted after the age of 6 months + High detail so gain a lot of insight - BECKET (2006)  found that many Romanian children aged over 6 months at the time of adoption CONTINUED to show -Cannot generalise from one individual to the whole population negative effects at 11 years - RUTTER (2007)  Studied 144 children who had been raised in Romanian institutions & had been adopted into UK families LONGITUDINAL STUDIES after 6 months old. They were generally assessed/tested for autistic like symptoms at 12 years old. 9.2% of the Romanian adoptees showed quasi-autistic symptoms e.g. COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES & STEREOTYPED BEHAVIOURS (UK = 0%) + Can see a change over a long period of time - Not representative - Approx half the children with quasi autism also showed other symptoms  DISINHIBITED ATTACHMENT & POOR - People may drop out meaning there are small samples  less RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS (long term effects of privation) representative Disinhibited attachments is an attachment to anyone who will give them attachment...