Attachment - Bowlby's Maternal Deprivation Flashcards
44 thieves study: backgroud
- Conducted between 1936 + 1939 at London Child Guidance Clinic
- Study of 88 children referred to the clinic
- 44 were juvenile thieves, 44 emotionally troubled but not criminal
- Groups matched for age + IQ
Study methodology
- Each child given mental tests by psychologist
- Social worker interviewed the mother
- Bowlby interviewed both child + mother
- Reviewed additional reports (from school)
Case study: Derek
- 6 years old when seen at clinic
- Spent 9 months in hospital at 18 months old - never visited by parents
- Refused food upon returning home
- Described as “not caring for anyone” except elder brother
Case study: Betty
- 5 years and 7 months when referred to the clinic
- Placed in foster care at 9 months, moved between homes until 5
- Harshly treated in foster homes
- Refused to bond with her mother upon return
Key findings: Affectionless psychopathy
- 14 children from juvenile thieves identified as AP
- Lacked empathy + showed little affection or concern for others
- 12/14 had experienced prolonged separation from mothers in first 2 years of life
- Only 2 of 44 in control group experienced similar separation
Maternal deprivation theory
- Early separation from primary caregiver during CP can have irreversible, damaging consequences for child development
Critical period: before 2.5 years, risk up to 5 years - Law of accumulated separation: every separation adds up
- Bowlby believed complete recovery was impossble
Consequences of maternal deprivation
- Affectionless psychopathy
- Delinquency
- Lower intelligence + cognitive abilities
- Problems forming relationships in the future
Internal working model
-If maternal deprivation occurs, child may struggle to form relationships later in life
Implications + controversy
-Theory had significant implications for mothers + childcare practices
- Highly controversial, regarding working mothers
- Led to changes in hospital policies for children’s wards, parents able to stay overnight with child + visit more frequently
- Influenced childcare + adoption practices - pressure for adoption to occur during CP not after.
Critiques + further research
Bowlby’s research criticised on various grounds:
- Methodological issues in 44 thieves study
- Oversimplification of complex developmental processes
- Failure to consider other factors influencing child development
