Bowlby’s Theory Of Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

What is maternal deprivation?

Answer 1

The emotional and intellectual consequences of separation (between a child and their mother) after a bond had formed.

Question 2

Bowlby believed that ________ care from the mother is ________ for normal ________ upbringing.

Answer 2

Continuous, essential, psychological.

Question 3

What can prolonged separation result in?

Answer 3

Serious damage to emotional and intellectual development.

Question 4

What is continuity hypothesis?

Answer 4

The idea that prolonged separation causes issues in adulthood.

Question 5

What is the deprivation theory?

Answer 5

Deprivation in the critical period causes lowered IQ & mental retardation. This therefore causes one to be an affectionless psychopath.

Question 6

What is the deprivation theory (simplified)?

Answer 6

Deprivation In Critical Period -> Lowered IQ & Mental Retardation -> Affectionless Psychopathy.

Question 7

What is ‘privation’?

Answer 7

Not having the opportunity to form a bond in the first place (e.g. institutionalisation).

Question 8

What is the difference between privation and mental deprivation?

Answer 8

Privation is when an infant doesn’t form a bond in the first place
WHEREAS
mental deprivation is when an infant forms a bond with a caregiver, but it is then disrupted.

Question 9

What was Bowlby’s case study also known as?

Answer 9

Bowlby’s 44 thieves.

Question 10

What was the aim of Bowlby’s 44 thieves study?

Answer 10

To test his maternal deprivation theory.

Question 11

What was the method of Bowlby’s 44 thieves study?

Answer 11

Interviewed children and families.
Compared 44 juvenile thieves with 44 non-delinquent children (control group).

Question 12

What is non-delinquent?

Answer 12

Innocent.

Question 13

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

Answer 13

• 32% of juvenile thieves showed affectionless psychopathy.
86% of them had experienced mental deprivation.

• 0% of children showed affectionless psychopathy.
4.5% of them had experienced mental deprivation.

Question 14

What was the conclusion for Bowlby’s 44 thieves study?

Answer 14

Research support for Bowlby’s theory of mental deprivation, that suggests that continual disruption of the attachment between infant & primary caregiver (mother) could result in long term cognitive, social and emotional difficulties for the infant.

Question 15

What are traits of an affectionless psychopath?

Answer 15

• Lack of emotional development.
• Lack of concern for others.
• Lack of guilt.
• Lack of empathy.
• Inability to form meaningful relationships.
• Impulsive.

Question 16

What are evaluation points for Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?

Answer 16

-Gender bias- the sample only looked at boys.
-Failed to explain why the two in the control group did not become delinquent.
-Led to policy changes around institutions and how they treated children (e.g. allowing parents to stay with their children in hospital).
-Researcher bias from Bowlby, proved as Lewis (1954) found no association between separation and psychopathy in the 500 young people she studied.