Attachment : Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

Outline Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation.

Answer 1

• Bowlby theory of maternal deprivation (1951) rests on his claim that young children should “experience a warm, intimate, and continuous relationship with his mother (or permanent mother substitute) in which both find satisfaction and enjoyment”.
• Bowlby argued that children who do not experience this relationship have suffered ‘maternal
  deprivation’ and may suffer significant and irreversible mental health consequences.
• He likened good maternal care to vitamins, and its absence to malnutrition.
• Bowlby argued the consequences of maternal deprivation are most severe in the case of complete deprivation. This occurs when the child grows up without one main person to care for them (a common situation in institutions such as residential nurseries and hospitals).
• Complete deprivation would have consequences for the child’s intellectual, physical and social development.
• The most severe cases of these are labelled affectionless
  psychopathy. This is characterized by a lack of concern for others, lack of guilt and inability to form meaningful and lasting relationships.
• A less severe form of maternal deprivation is partial deprivation. This can happen if the
  child is temporarily removed from the care of its mother. It might also happen if the child
  remains with a mother who is unable to properly care for it.
• Although Bowlby argued the consequences of partial deprivation are less severe, they can still harm the child’s emotional development, resulting in anxiety, depression, and neediness.

Question 2

What is a Strength of Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation?

Answer 2

It was highly influential. For example, in response to Bowlby’s theory, the practice of allowing parents frequent visiting to
hospitalised children became the norm, and there was a move towards placing homeless children with foster carers, rather than in institutions. Given that Bowlby’s central claim on the importance of a loving relationship between child and carer is
now widely accepted, the changes outlined above should be seen as positive, and evidence of the value of
Bowlby’s theory. However, not all the changes resulting from Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory were
positive. His ideas were misinterpreted for political purposes by governments concerned about maximizing
employment for men returning from the WWII. As a result, it was claimed that any separation from the
mother was harmful, so as to discourage women from working, as this would make it harder for returning soldiers to find work (as they would need to compete with women). This resulted in the closure of nurseries
which cared for the children of working mothers, and the stigmatizing of working mothers as neglectful
parents. This demonstrates how Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory is socially sensitive, as it clearly had the potential for social consequences, some of which were positive but some – due to misinterpretation by
politicians and the public – were harmful.

Question 3

What research support is there to support Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation?

Answer 3

Harlow found that infant rhesus monkeys raised in extended isolation in bare wire cages left monkeys
with profound abnormalities in their later development (e.g., difficulties socializing and parenting). These
became irreversible if the monkeys were isolated for long enough. Harlow’s initial research provides clear evidence in support of Bowlby’s theory of maternal
deprivation. The monkeys raised in these conditions suffered what Bowlby would describe as complete
deprivation, as they were raised without a mother figure. The harm they suffered to their emotional and
social development was, just as Bowlby claimed, significant and irreversible. However, Harlow’s findings
relate to rhesus monkeys, so his findings may not be generalisable to humans. This means his research may offer weak support for Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation.

Question 4

How has research provided mixed support for Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation?

Answer 4

For example, Koluchova (1972) reported on Czech twins who, after years of abuse from their stepmother, were significantly behind children of a similar age in terms of their physical and intellectual development. Nonetheless, they subsequently received excellent care and went on to make complete recoveries. This study provides some support for Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory, as the terrible care
experienced by the twins in their early years clearly constituted maternal deprivation, and this
deprivation did appear to result in harm to their later development, as Bowlby had argued.
However, their later recovery challenged Bowlby’s claim that maternal deprivation leads to irreversible long-term consequences. Moreover, this study was a case study of two people. This means it’s unlikely that such a small sample could be representative. This weakens the study’s external validity and therefore weakens its challenge to Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory.