Bowlby’s Theory Of Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

What did Bowlby (1953) propose that children suffer from, caused by the absence of their primary attachment figure

Answer 1

Prolonged emotional deprivation

Question 2

What will children who suffer from prolonged emotional deprivation have

Answer 2

• long term intellectual + social + emotional difficulties
  (Lower iq, delinquency, & affectionless psychopathy)

Question 3

According to the continuity hypothesis, these effects are irreversible & will continue into adulthood due to?

Answer 3

A lack of internal working model

Question 4

The negative impact of maternal deprivation could occur if separation occurs before…

Answer 4

2 and a half years old (the critical period)
-> though there is a risk up to 5 years (the sensitive period) & there is no substitute figure available to take over the child’s emotional care

Question 5

Bowlby (1944) analysed the case histories of his patients in what clinic

Answer 5

In the child guidance clinic in London where he worked

Question 6

All of the children in the clinic where Bowlby (1944) worked were

Answer 6

Emotionally maladjusted

Question 7

How many children did Bowlby study

Answer 7

88, half of whole had been caught stealing (44 thieves)

Question 8

Bowlby suggested that 14 /44 of the thieves were […|…]

Answer 8

Affectionless psychopaths (they lacked affection, shame & responsibility for their actions)

Question 9

What did Bowlby find out about the ‘affectionless psychopaths’

Answer 9

• 12 /14 had experienced frequent early separations from their mothers (e.g. hospital, foster care)
• 5/30 of the thieves who weren’t affectionless psychopaths experienced frequent early separations

Question 10

Almost none of the control group had experienced…

Answer 10

Early separations from their mothers

Question 11

(+) of Bowlby’s theory - the effect it had on hospitalsu

Answer 11

Before Bowlby’s (1953) theory hospitals would not allow parents to visit their children during stays in hospital (or would only allow infrequent visits - e.g. once a week). This often had a profound and damaging effect on the child. Nowadays parents are actively encouraged to stay in hospital with their children.

Question 12

(+) Spitz 1945 study showing proof of maternal deprivation

Answer 12

Spitz (1945) examined children raised in a poor quality orphanage in South America. Members of staff were overworked, under trained and rarely gave the children any attention or affection. The children displayed anaclitic depression (loss of appetite, sleeplessness and sadness).

Question 13

(+) Skodak and Skeeles 1949 observation proof of poorer IQ due to less care

Answer 13

Skodak and Skeeles (1949) found that children placed in institutions that only looked after them physically scored poorly on intelligence tests. However, when the same children were transferred to a different institution which gave the children emotional care the IQ scores improved by almost 30 points.

Question 14

(-) effects shown to be reversible

Answer 14

The effects of maternal deprivation have been shown to be reversible.
Children who had never formed attachments and were adopted after the age of four were still able to form attachments to their new parents (Tizard et al.
1989).

Question 15

(-) deprivation vs privation

Answer 15

Bowlby did not really distinguish between deprivation (when the attachment figure is lost) and privation (when the child has never formed an attachment). It could be the latter that causes the extreme negative effects observed in some studies.