THE SOCIAL SKlLLS OF PREVIOUSLY INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILDREN ADOPTED FROM ROMANIA by Susan L. Thompson B.A., University of British Columbia, 1988 M.A.,Simon Fraser University, 1992 Diswtation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Roquimnrnb for the Degm of Doctoi of Philorophy in the Department of Psychology (D Surrn L. Thompron, 2000 SIMON FRASER UNlVERSltV Janur y, 2000 All rights rewwed. This work may not be reproduwd in whole or part, by photocopy or othet means, without pemiclsion of the author. National Library Bibliot7ue nationale ($1 ~(Cansâa du Cana a Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sel1 reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous papa or electronic formats. la forme de rnicrofiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur fomat électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. iii ABSTRACT The social behaviour of previously institutionalized Romanian orphans was compared to both Canadian-born children and children adopted from Romania at an early age. The majority of the children were examined at 4-112-years of age with a small group of older children included in the study. The research was part of a larger longitudinal study encompassing the cognitive development, bethavioural and medical problems. and attachment of the children from Romania. In the present study, three questionnaires were given to parents and teachen. and four children were observed in their preschool. It was found that the previously institutionalized Rornanian orphans scored more poorly on measures of social skills and had higher nurnben of problems with social interactions. Social problems were correlated with the length of time spent in orphanage, the age and income of the parents. and I.Q. Difficulty with social skills and social problerns were related to attachment and to extreme indiscrirninately friendly behaviour, and to the stress felt by the parents. Difficulties with social skills and social problems were also related to the number of children adopted by the family from Romania. Childnn adopted from Romania before the age of 6 months were comparable to non-adopted. never institutionalized Canadian-bom children. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the support of my friends and farnily, particularly my husband, Mark, and colleague, Patricia Ackland. I would also like to thank Elinor Ames and the rest of my cornmittee for their assistance. Lianne Fisher and the other members of the Romanian Adoption Project were also vital contributon to this thesis. The families of the children from Romania and Canada have also shown great cornmitment to this project. Finally, I would like to thank Joan Wolfe, both for her pnctical support of the thesis document in its final stages. and her personal support throughout my studies. Approval .. .. .. .. .. .. .. , .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. , .. .. .. .. , . .. , . ., , .. , . ., .. , , .. .. .. ii Abstract ... .. .... .. .,.. , ,.. .. , .... .. .. , . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. iii Acknowledgements .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .... .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. , . , . iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................v m.. List of Tables ................. ....................................... ... .... ... .................. .................... ... , .... VIII Social Skills and Peer Status.., . .. .. .. , . .. .. ... ... .. .. .. ....... .. , .. ., . .2 Peer Relations and Other Areas of Functioning ...... ..... ... ... ... ... ... ....... .. ............... ... ..... 3 lnstitutionalization Research... ... .... .. .... ..... .... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .... .. .. ..... .. .. .... .. 3 Studies of Romanian Orphans...... ....... .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..... .. ........... .. .. .... .. 5 Lack of Opportunity To Engage in Social Interactions ...................................................12 Lack of Individuation and Development of a Sense of Self ....... ... ......... .............. .. ...... .. 13 Attachment Problems .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 Participants .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. , . .. .. .. .. ,, .. 19 Romanian Orphanaga (RO) Group... .. .. .. .. .. .. 19 Canadian Born (CB) Group .............................................. ............................. ..... 20 Early Adopted (€A) Group .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .21 Questionnaire Measures of Behaviour Problems and Social Skills ................................25 The Preschool Behavior Questionnaire.............................................................. 25 Child Behavior Checklist ....................................................................................26 Social Skills Rating System: Preschool Version .................................................28 Other Measures ............................................................................................................30 Parenting Stress Index ......................................................................................30 The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory............ 30 Parent Interview ............................................................................................................31 Procedure ..........................................................................................................31 Attachment Categories .................................................................................................-34 lndiscrirninately Friendly Behaviour ..............................................................................-35 Behavioural Obsewations .............................................................................................36 Participants........................................................................................................ 36 Procedure ..........................................................................................................36 RESUCTS ................................................................................................................39 Quantitative Analyses ....................................................................................................39 Importance Parents Place on Socializing ...........................................................39 Parents' Judgements of Childrents Interactions with Friends ............................-40 Specific Behaviours .................................................................................... -40 Intercondation of Questionnaire Measures ......................................................-44 Intercondation of Parent and Teacher Measures ..............................................45 Questionnaire Measures of Social Skills and Behaviour Problems ....................46 Furlher Analyses ...............................................................................................-54 Attempt a Factor Analysis .................................................................................54 Skills and Problems Scores ...............................................................................55 Observational Data....................................................................................................... -74 Quantitative Measures .......................................................................................74 vii OISCUSSION ................................................................................................................88 References .............................., ............................................................................ 101 Appendix A: Social Questions from the Parent Interview......................................... 108 Appendix 8: Letter to Teachers ................................................................................11 2 Appendix C: Permission Form for the Social Behaviour Questionnaires................... 113 Appendix D: lndiscriminately Friendly Questions (Chisholm, 1998) ..........................114 Appendix E: Consent Form for Obsewations ..................................... ... .. 115 Appendix F: Information Letter for Observations ......................................................116 Appendix G: Observation Measures .........................................................................117 Appendix H: Means for Specific Behaviours of Older Children and 4 %- year-old Children ..........................................................................119 Appendix 1: Correlations Within Groups for Teacher and Parent Scores on Questionnaire Measures ................................................................123 Appendix J: Coirelations of Other Variables with Skills and Problems Scores in the CB Group ................................................................................ 124 Appendix K: Correlations of Other Variables with Skills and Problems