Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation Flashcards
What does Bowlby say attachment is?
Attachment is a biological mechanism that humans are born with in order to increase chances of survival.
What does Bowlby say about proximity?
Bowlby says that babies instinctively seek proximity - this is a survival instinct as a baby is unable to fend for itself, proximity seeking could be considered a survival behaviour because they are unable to prevent being hurt.
What is Bowlby’s monotropic theory?
Critical period
Innate programming
Internal working model
Monotropic
Proximity
Social releasers
What are social releasers, with examples
These are behaviours that help the baby to survive as they are forms of non-verbal communication that help carers to fulfil their needs - Crying, laughing etc.,
What is monotropy?
The idea that the one relationship that the infant has with his/her primary attachment figure is of special significance and emotional development
What can a positive internal working model lead to?
Happy and healthy future relationships and friendships
Increase in general wellbeing
Increase in long-term survival
Increased chances of having healthy and happy kids to pass your genes onto
What did bowlby believe about critical period and attachment?
The critical period was 2 years and attachment should be developed by 2 or a child would have difficulty developing relationships later in life
What is classical conditioning?
Learning through association, for example food produces a sense of pleasure in a child. The person who feeds the infant provides no natural response but over time the feeder eventually becomes associated with food and this turns into a conditioned response (feeder being the conditioned stimulus)
What is operant conditioning?
All humans possess innate drives or primary motives which are primary reinforcers and are positively reinforcing
What did Dollard and Miller say about attachment?
Attachment is a learned behaviour that is acquired through both classical and operant conditioning
What is negative reinforcement in attachment?
When a child learns that when crying they will receive foods and therefore crying is associated with food
What was Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation
- Suggested that “mother love in infancy and childhood is as important for mental health as are vitamins and proteins for physical health”
- If a chid does not have a warm relationship with mother will cause behavioural disorders
- If separation occurs before 2, behavioural issues
- Divorce, imprisonment, full-time mother results in maternal deprivation
What happened in Bowlby’s 44 thieves’ study?
Studied 88 children, 44 stealing, 44 control group, 14 of the 44 as affectionless psychopaths, 86% of the 16 suffered early and prolonged separation from their mothers
What are issues with the 44 thieves study?
The people referred to his clinic already had behavioural issues
Researcher bias - he conducted it himself
Findings can’t be generalised
What did Rutter 1976 say about Bowlby?
Claimed Bowlby was actually mixing up the concepts of deprivation and privation
