Bowlby

Question 1

What did Bowlby believe about a child’s relationship with their mother?

Answer 1

The child needs a “warm intimate and continuous relationship” with a mother/permanent mother-substitute) to ensure continuing normal mental health

Question 2

What is the theory of maternal deprivation?

Answer 2

A young child who is denied such care due to frequent and/or prolonged separations may become emotionally disturbed
Only applies to a critical period in development - Bowlby identified separation will only have this effect if it happens before age of 2 1/2 yrs if there’s no substitute mother available

Question 3

Key study name?

Answer 3

44 juvenile thieves

Question 4

Procedures?

Answer 4

• analysed case histories of patients in a clinic that he worked
• 88 patients
• half caught stealing (44 thieves)
• other half = control group
• suggested some of the thieves were affection-less psychopaths
• enabled them to be thieves because stealing didn’t matter to them

Question 5

Findings?

Answer 5

• individuals diagnosed as affectionless thieves experienced frequent early separations from mothers
• 86% of them experienced frequent separations compared to 17% of the other thieves
• 39% of all the thieves had experienced early separations
• early separations consisted of continual/repeated stays in foster homes/hospitals
• children rarely visited by family

Question 6

Conclusion?

Answer 6

Findings suggest early separations linked to affectionless psychopathy
Lack of continuous care may cause emotional maladjustment/mental disorder

Question 7

Evaluation 1: strength

Answer 7

• theory had positive impact on postwar thinking about child rearing and how children were cared for in hospital
• children were previously separated from parents when in hospital
• Robertson (1952) studied + filmed a hospitalised girl for 8 days
• seen to be distressed and begging to go home
• work/research = major social change in how children were cared for in hospital

Question 8

Evaluation 2: weakness

Answer 8

• cause of deprivation may be emotional separation rather than just physical
• mother with depression might be physically present but cannot provide appropriate emotional care
• deprives her children of that care
• Radke-Yarrow et al 1985; studied depressed mothers - 55% of their children = insecurely attached
• emotional separation can lead to deprivation

Question 9

Evaluation 3: weakness

Answer 9

• Bilfulco et al (1992); study of women who experienced separation from mothers
• 25% later experienced depression/anxiety disorder
• mental health problems = much greater than women whose loss occurred before 6yrs old
• suggests early childhood deprivation can lead to later vulnerability for mental health issues
• supports Bowlby’s idea of critical period