Bowlby's Theory of Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

What is Maternal Deprivation?

Answer 1

• Emotional and intellectual consequences of separation between a child and mother.
• Bowlby suggests that prolonged deprivation would have serious consequences in terms of emotional development.

Question 2

Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation

Answer 2

• Infants and children need a warm, intimate and continuous relationship with a mother to ensure good mental health.
• An infant can only attach to mother but later changed his hypothesis to allow for people other than the mother to be the primary caregiver but it must be a permanent mother subsitute.

Question 3

Separation vs Deprivation

Answer 3

• Separation means the child is not in the presence of their primary caregiver for a brief period of time.
• Deprivation occurs when separation is extended and they lose an element of attachment figure’s care.

Question 4

Critical Period for Maternal Deprivation

Answer 4

• Critical period when bond must be formed or else it will not form at all.
• Prolonged separation from mother before age of 2.5 years would lead to serious mental health issues.
• Risk of up to 5 years.

Question 5

Effects of Maternal Deprivation on Development

Answer 5

• Strong attachment to mother is essential for a child’s psychological health in both infancy and adulthood.
  1. Intellectual consequences - if deprived of mother for too long during critical period, mental retardation would be suffered, characterised by low IQ.
  2. Emotional consequences - depression, delinquency, affectionless psychopathy. Attachment disorder.

Question 6

Bowlby - 44 Thieves Aim

Answer 6

• To see if maternal deprivation caused affectionless psychopahty and if it was linked to delinquency in later life.

Question 7

Bowlby - 44 Thieves Procedure

Answer 7

• Collected data through interviews and questionnaires from participants.
• In a guidance clinic.
• Compared 44 thieves to a control group of 44 non thieves.
• 88 Participants total.

Question 8

Bowlby - 44 Thieves Findings

Answer 8

• 32% of thieves were diagnosed as affectionless psychopaths.
• None of the thieves from control group were diagnosed as affectionless psychopaths.
• 86% of affectionless psychopath thieves had experienced early separation from their motherfor at least a week before age 5.
• 17% of thieves without affectionless psychopathy had suffered maternal deprivation.

Question 9

Bowlby - 44 Thieves Conclusion

Answer 9

• Lack of continuous care can cause emotional maladjustment or even a mental disorder.

Question 10

Evaluation of Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation - Reversible?

Answer 10

• The theory suggests that children cannot recover from the effects of a negative early experience but research suggests otherwise.
• Bohman and Sigvardsson studied 600 adopted children. At age 11 26% were classed as problem children. In a follow up 10 years later, none of these children differed from the general population.
• Weakness - longitudinal evidence contradicts Bowlby’s theory.

Question 11

Evaluation of Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation - physical vs psychological separation

Answer 11

• The theory assumes it is the physical separation of the mother and child that causes maternal deprivation but it could also be the psychological separation.
• A mother who is depressed may be physically present but unable to provide suitable emotional care.
• Weakness - limits the usefulness of the theory. There are many factors that could result in affectionless psychopathy but Bowlby has only focused on one.

Question 12

Evaluation of Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation - support for long term effects

Answer 12

• Bifulco et al supports Maternal deprivation.
• Studied 250 women who had lost mothers through separation or death before the age of 17. Found that loss of mother through these doubles the risk of depressive and anxiety disorders in adult women. Rate of depression was highest in women who’s mother had died before age of 6, supporting the critical period theory.
• Strength - increased validity. More evidence allows us to establish a cause and effect relationship.

Question 13

Evaluation of Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation - real world application

Answer 13

• Theory has brought change to public policy.
• Enormous impact on childrearing and in changing practices relating to the stays of small children in hospitals so that parents are allowed to visit more often and for longer.
• Strength - lower the cases of maternal deprivation. Benefit the development of children and reduce the risk of developing affectionless psychopathy.