Bowlby’s Theory Of Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

Bowlby believed that…

Answer 1

• emotional deprivation for a prolonged time would have Long term consequences in terms of emotional development
• deprivation from the main care giver during the critical period (0–2.5 years) can have effects on intellectual, emotional and social development
• can affect the internal working model

Question 2

What is the difference between privation and deprivation

Answer 2

Privation- not having the opportunity to form a bond in the first instance
Maternal deprivation- bond with PCG has formed but is distrusted

Question 3

Outline Bowlby’s 44 thieves study (1944)

Answer 3

• he compared the backgrounds of 44 thieves and 44 normal children (all boys)
  FINDINGS
• 32% of the thieves were affectionless psychopaths and 86% of these experienced frequent separations with their PCG before age 5
• no affectionless psychopaths in the non-delinquents ut 2 had maternal deprivation during the critical period
• shows that there is a link between affectionless psychopathy and maternal deprivation LINK NOT CAUSE AND EFFECT

Question 4

Outline the PDD model - Robertson and Robertson

Answer 4

1. Protest- initial stage of separation, lasts hours or days. Either refuse comfort or exaggerated clinginess
2. Despair- no longer in anticipation of PCG’s return. Child becomes withdrawn and self-soothes
3. Detachment- accepts comfort and interaction with others. Rejects mother on return

Question 5

Outline Robertson and Robertson’s study into the effects of separation

Answer 5

• studied 5 children who were in care because their mothers were in the hospital having a second child
• provided substitute mothering and hospital visits
• children coped well with the separation and were joyous on parents return

Question 6

AO3 evaluate Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis

Answer 6

+ huge impact on child care practices, there must be a ‘substitute mother’, childcare ratios
+ changes in hospital practices
- individual differences may mean that children deal with the separation differently, Bowlby suggested that children who coped well were more securely attached
- lack of clarity on what deprivation was, was it the lack of an attachment or the loss of an attachment
- 44 thieves gender bias means lack of population validity
- 44 thieves using retrospective data which produces inaccuracies
- socially sensitive, huge emphasis placed on the role of the mother, encouraging them to stay at home, this could have implications for the economy

Question 7

what is Bowlby’s background and why did he create this hypothesis

Answer 7

• had a clinic in London treating children with emotional delinquency
• he became interested in the effects of maternal deprivation after the war when children were separated from their mothers

Question 8

what is an affectionless psychopath

Answer 8

• have no moral conscience and m=empathy towards others
• they are more likely to partake in criminal activities

Question 9

what has Bowlby’s theory been criticised for having researcher bias

Answer 9

• Bowlby formulated the theory and conducted the research
• he formulated the sample of 44 thieves from his clinic in London