Attachment- Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation Flashcards
Define separation
Child not being in the presence of the primary attachemnt figuire
How does separation lead to deprivation?
Prolonged deprivation effects devolpemnt
What is deprivation?
The loss of emotional care that is normally provided by the caregiver
Define Privation
The failiyre to form attchments in early life
What are the 3 main strands of this theory?
-The value of maternal care
-The critical period
-Long term consequences
When was the theory devolped?
1951
What was assumed before the 44 thieves study?
-A good standard of food and physical care was the most important thing
What did the findings of the 44 thieves suggest?
-Continuous care from a mother or substitute is essential for normal pschological devolpemnt (intellectual and emotional) in babies and toddlers
When is the critical period?
2.5 years
If a child was separted and emotionally deprieved from their mother what effect will this be?
-Psychological damage is inevetabel
When did bowlby beleive the critical period was up to?
5 years
Does separation result in lasting damage?
No but speartion can lead to deprivation and deprivation causes lasting damge
What are the long term consequnces?
-Emotional maladjustment (not being able to regulate emotions)
-Mental health issues (depression, anxiety ect)
-Low IQ
How does spitz’s (1945) study support this theory?
-Found physical and mental deteriation caused by being in instituitions and deprived from their mother was a long time
-They were also unstimulated
-The symtoms reversed if it was less than 3 months
How could spitz’s study be criticised?
-Stereotypical- it is equally as liekly to happen in a nuclear family
-Exploitation- a vunerable group being atken advantage of
What was the aim of the 44 thieves study?
Examined the links between affcetionaless psychopathy and maternal deprivation
What was the procedure?
-Analysed close studies of 88 paitients in the child guidance in London
-All of the children were emotionally malajusted
-1/2 of the children (44) were thieves and the other halfv were a control group
-Bowlby suggested that the thieves were affectionalist pschopaths as they could steal from other and not care
What were the results?
-86% (12/14) of the A thieves experinced frequent separations comaperd to the 17%5/30 of the other thieves
-None of the control participants experinced derivation
What did this study conclude?
-Prolonged separtion/deprivation caused affectionaless pschopathy
-Lack of continuous care may cause emotional malajustment /mental disorders
Give a limitation of this theory
-The evidence used to support it is flawed
-Harlows rhesus monkey study were carried out on monkeys and animals behaviour is not generisable to humans
-They found that the monkeys struggled to be reintegrated into society
-The evidence is not valid
Give a limitation of this theory
-It is assumed that physical separation is the cause of deprivation and emotional separation is usally overlooked
-If the PCG is physically present but suffers with depression they may mentally be absent so will not be able to provide emotional care which would lead to deprivation
-Marian Radkeyarrow studied severly depressed mothers and found that 55% of the children were insecurley attached compared to 29%ofd the control group
-Emotional separtion can also cause deprivation
Give a strenth of this theory
-Research to support got long term effects of maternal deprivation
-In 1992 Bifuclo carried out a study who had experineced separtion due to maternal death/ separation for more than a year
-25% of them experinced depression/anxitey comapred with 15% who never experienced separation
-The mental health problems were much greater in these womens whose loss occured by the age of 6
-Supports the critical period
Give a limitation of this theory
-The critical period is not nessacrily a critical period but more of a sensitive period
-Koluchova (1976) reported the case of twin boys from czechoslovakia were isolated from 18 months until age 7
-They were then looked after by 2 loving adults and fully recovered
-They can still form securenattachemnts after 2.5 years and thrive although it is not ideal
-Sensitive but not critical
