Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2026
Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors
Published on: February 25, 2011
Institutional care: associations between overactivity and lack of selectivity in social relationships
Penny Roy1, Michael Rutter, Andrew Pickles
1Department of Language and Communication Science, City University, London, UK. p.j.roy@city.ac.uk
Insights
Institutional rearing in early childhood can lead to a lack of selective attachment and friendships, associated with inattention and overactivity, particularly in boys. This pattern is a specific response to institutional environments but not universal.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Early institutional care is linked to inattention and overactivity in children.
- Attachment disorder behaviors may be associated with these behavioral issues.
- Previous studies were limited to institutions with poor conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between institutional rearing and attachment behaviors.
- To compare children raised in institutional care versus foster families.
- To explore the relationship between attachment patterns and behavioral issues like inattention/overactivity.
Main Methods:
- Compared 19 institution-reared children with 19 foster-reared children (all admitted before age 1).
- Utilized observational, questionnaire, interview, and psychometric measures.
- Assessed selective attachment relationships with caregivers and peer friendships.
Main Results:
- 20% of institutional children lacked selective attachment; none in foster care.
- Similar rates of lacking selective friendships were observed.
- Lack of relationship selectivity strongly correlated with inattention/overactivity.
- This pattern was primarily observed in boys reared in institutions.
Conclusions:
- A lack of selective relationships and inattention/overactivity is a specific response to institutional rearing.
- This pattern is not a universal outcome of institutional care, affecting just over a third of cases.
- Findings highlight the impact of early environment on child development and social-emotional functioning.
Background:
The behaviour of children raised in institutional care in their early years is typified by heightened levels of inattention and overactivity irrespective of the quality of the care. There is some evidence that this behaviour may be specifically associated with forms of attachment disorder behaviours, but to date studies have been restricted to institutions characterised by high levels of malnutrition and lack of active experiences.
Methods:
Nineteen primary school age children admitted to good quality residential group care before the age of 1 year were compared with 19 children of the same gender reared in a foster family from the same age. A combination of observational, questionnaire, interview and psychometric measures was employed.
Results:
A fifth of the institutional children but none of the foster-family children showed a marked lack of selective attachment relationships with their caregivers. The same proportions were found for a lack of selectivity in friendships with their peers but the children showing these features were not identical. A lack of selectivity in relationships was strongly associated with inattention/overactivity, both as observed and reported. The pattern of a marked lack of selectivity and inattention/overactivity was evident only in the boys in the institution-reared group.
Conclusions:
It is concluded that the pattern represents a relatively specific response to some feature of an institutional rearing; nevertheless, it occurred in only just over a third of the institutional children, so that it is a far from universal consequence.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Horney's Sociocultural Approach
01:15Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes
01:25Importance of Need for Affiliation
01:30Causes of Social Behavior I: Actions and Characteristics of Individuals
01:19Autism Spectrum Disorder
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
01:28Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences