Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation Flashcards
What deprivation?
The loss of an attachment bond
Who proposed the theory of maternal deprivation?
Bowlby
What was the name of Bowlby’s study into maternal deprivation?
44 juvenile thieves
How many children did Bowlby study?
88
What could be said about all of the children in Bowlby’s study?
They were emotionally maladjusted
What was Bowlby’s experimental group?
Children who’d been caught stealing
What was Bowlby’s control group?
Children who hadn’t stolen anything
What are affectionless psychopaths?
People who lack the normal signs of affection, shame or sense of responsibility
How many of Bowlby’s juvenile thieves were affectionless psychopaths?
14
Out of the 14 affectionless psychopaths, how many had experienced maternal deprivation?
12
What percentage of the control group experienced maternal deprivation?
17%
What did Bowlby suggest as the critical period?
0 - 2.5 years
What does the PDD model stand for?
Protest, despair, detachment
What is the protest part of the PDD model?
Immediate reactions to separation include crying, screaming and kicking
What is the despair part of the PDD model?
Children display signs of acceptance + ‘mourning’ - thumb sucking + withdrawn
What is the detachment part of the PDD model?
Children return to a ‘normal’ emotional state, but upon reunion with their caregiver they are indifferent or angry
What percentage of thieves classified as affectionless psychopaths experienced maternal deprivation?
86%
What are the 4 AO3 points of Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory?
1) Physical AND emotional separation
2) RWA
3) Deprivation VS privation
4) Support for long term effects
Give an example of emotional maternal deprivation.
A depressed mother
In a study of depressed mothers, what percentage of the children were insecurely attached?
55%
What does Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory have applications to?
Childrearing and hospital care
Before Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory, what was hospital care of children like?
Children were separated from parents when admitted to hospital + visiting was discouraged and even prohibited
What is the name of the girl who was filmed during her time in hospital?
Laura
How did Little Laura lead to social change?
She showed frequent signs of distress and begged to go home - this led to major social change, as it highlighted the harm of emotional deprivation
Who criticised Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?
Rutter
Why did Rutter criticise Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?
He claimed that Bowlby did not make it clear whether the childrens’ attachment bonds had been formed and then broken, or never formed at all
What does maternal deprivation increase the vulnerability for?
Negative outcomes
What were the findings of the study on adult women who experienced early loss or separation from their mothers?
They were more likely to experience anxiety or depression compared to a control group
