Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation Theory

Question 1

What does the maternal deprivation theory state?

Answer 1

This theory states attachments are essential for healthy psychological and emotional development and explains the negative effects of broken attachments

Question 2

What is the difference between the maternal deprivation theory and the monotropic theory?

Answer 2

The monotropic theory explains how attachments develop and the maternal deprivation theory explains the effects of broken attachments

Question 3

What does Bowlby state about separation in the critical period?

Answer 3

Bowlby states that separation in the critical period may lead to emotional and intellectual damaged development

Question 4

What does the maternal deprivation theory state about repeated separation from the mother/substitute caregiver?

Answer 4

The maternal deprivation theory states repeated separation from mother/substitute caregiver during the critical period can cause psychological damage (poor intellectual + emotional development), abnormally low IQs and affectionless psychopaths

Question 5

How are attachments commonly disrupted? What effects can this have on the child?

Answer 5

Attachments are commonly disrupted in situations when a child is put into day care, has a prolonged stay in hospital care or are placed into a institutional care to be separated from unfit parents.

This can have short term effects on the child or permanent but fairly mild harm.

Question 6

What is privation?

Answer 6

Privation is when a child fails to form any attachments at all.

Question 7

What are the most common causes for privation?

Answer 7

Privation’s most common cause is institutional care

Question 8

What study did Bowlby conduct to assess the effects of maternal deprivation?

Answer 8

Bowlby’s 44 thieves study

Question 9

What was the sample size of Bowlby’s 44 thieves study?

Answer 9

Bowlby used a sample size of 44 criminal teenagers accused of stealing

Question 10

What was the self report method that was used?

Answer 10

Bowlby used an interview to get information from the families of the teenagers

Question 11

Outline Bowlby’s 44 thieves study

Answer 11

Bowlby sampled 44 criminal teenagers and interviewed their families. A control group was set up of non criminals who were emotionally disturbed young people.

Question 12

What were the findings of Bowlby’s 44 thieves study?

Answer 12

Bowlby found that 14 of the 44 thieves could be described as affectionless psychopaths. Out of the 14, 12 had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers during the critical period.

In the control group it was found only 2 out of the 44 had experienced prolonged early separation

It was concluded that prolonged early separation caused affectionless psychopathy

Question 13

Bowlby did a study called, “Bowlby’s 44 thieves study”. What did it assess?

Answer 13

Bowlby’s 44 thieves study assessed the effects of maternal deprivation

Question 14

What is a (blah) of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory? ()

Question 15

What is a (limitation) of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory? (researcher bias)

Answer 15

The 44 thieves study had major design flaws. Bowlby himself carried out the assessment for affectionless psychopathy and the family interviews. He knew what he wanted to find. As a result, the study may have been prone to researcher bias as Bowlby may have recorded findings in a way that fit in with his theory

Question 16

What is a (blah) of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory? (correlational research)

Answer 16

Bowlby’s 44 thieves study is correlational research. Bowlby cannot establish a cause and effect. This means that we cannot be sure that broken attachments cause affectionless psychopathy. Therefore, making it low in validity.

Question 17

What is a limitation of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory? (twin boys)

Answer 17

There was a case study by Koluchova where two identical twin boys were kept in a locked cupboard from 18 months to 7 years old by their step mother.

When rescued at 7 they were abnormally small and could barely walk or talk. At age 8, they were placed in care and provided a loving and secure family environment.

This led to the twins putting on healthy weight, learning to walk and talk, Later on in life, the twins married and enjoyed stable relationships. This proves that even past the critical period the twins were capable of leading normal lives and no long term effects were received from the maternal deprivation