A childless couple interviewed on TV is just about to pick up their three-year-old toddler from an orphanage in Romania known for its terrible conditions

They comment that "love conquers all" and go on to say that "by the time he goes to kindergarten, people will think he has grown up here all his life." Based on the research, is this an accurate prediction? Explain.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: One of the main findings from the research on institutionalized children is that age of adoption had a significant impact on various outcomes: the earlier the better. Specifically, those adopted after about six months showed lower cognitive ability than their counterparts who were adopted earlier. An enriching environment certainly can help to make up for earlier disadvantages, but brain plasticity decreases over the first year, so the optimal benefits occur early.