Attachment- Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation

Question 1

Define separation

Answer 1

Child not being in the presence of the primary attachemnt figuire

Question 2

How does separation lead to deprivation?

Answer 2

Prolonged deprivation effects devolpemnt

Question 3

What is deprivation?

Answer 3

The loss of emotional care that is normally provided by the caregiver

Question 4

Define Privation

Answer 4

The failiyre to form attchments in early life

Question 5

What are the 3 main strands of this theory?

Answer 5

-The value of maternal care
-The critical period
-Long term consequences

Question 6

When was the theory devolped?

Answer 6

1951

Question 7

What was assumed before the 44 thieves study?

Answer 7

-A good standard of food and physical care was the most important thing

Question 8

What did the findings of the 44 thieves suggest?

Answer 8

-Continuous care from a mother or substitute is essential for normal pschological devolpemnt (intellectual and emotional) in babies and toddlers

Question 9

When is the critical period?

Answer 9

2.5 years

Question 10

If a child was separted and emotionally deprieved from their mother what effect will this be?

Answer 10

-Psychological damage is inevetabel

Question 11

When did bowlby beleive the critical period was up to?

Answer 11

5 years

Question 12

Does separation result in lasting damage?

Answer 12

No but speartion can lead to deprivation and deprivation causes lasting damge

Question 13

What are the long term consequnces?

Answer 13

-Emotional maladjustment (not being able to regulate emotions)
-Mental health issues (depression, anxiety ect)
-Low IQ

Question 14

How does spitz’s (1945) study support this theory?

Answer 14

-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

Question 15

How could spitz’s study be criticised?

Answer 15

-Stereotypical- it is equally as liekly to happen in a nuclear family
-Exploitation- a vunerable group being atken advantage of

Question 16

What was the aim of the 44 thieves study?

Answer 16

Examined the links between affcetionaless psychopathy and maternal deprivation

Question 17

What was the procedure?

Answer 17

-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

Question 18

What were the results?

Answer 18

-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

Question 19

What did this study conclude?

Answer 19

-Prolonged separtion/deprivation caused affectionaless pschopathy
-Lack of continuous care may cause emotional malajustment /mental disorders

Question 20

Give a limitation of this theory

Answer 20

-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

Question 21

Give a limitation of this theory

Answer 21

-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

Question 22

Give a strenth of this theory

Answer 22

-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

Question 23

Give a limitation of this theory

Answer 23

-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