Bowlby’s Theory Of Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

Define maternal deprivation

Answer 1

Emotional and intellectual consequences of extended separation between a child and their mother or mother substitute, where a child loses an aspect of care within the critical period.

Question 2

What is lost?

Answer 2

An element of care is lost which could cause psychological damage which is inevitable and irreversible.

Question 3

Intellectual damage

Answer 3

Cognitive impairment such as intellectual delay, shown by abnormally low IQ

Goldfarb found lower IQ in children who had remained in institutions compared to those who had been fostered

Question 4

Emotional damage

Answer 4

Affectionless psychopathy which is the inability to experience guilt or strong emotion for others.

This prevents the person developing normal relationships and is associated with criminality and they also lack remorse.

Question 5

Research to contradict

Answer 5

Lewis - she replicated the 44 thieves study looking at 500 young people and in her sample prolonged separation from mother did not predict criminality or difficulty forming relationships.

Question 6

Strength

Answer 6

Practical applications- hospitals changing visiting hours and letting parents stay overnight with their infants.

Question 7

RTS

Answer 7

Bowlby - 44 juvenile thieves study where Bowlby interviewed an opportunity sample to see if they had signs of affectionless psychopathy, he then interviewed the parents to see if there was long periods of separation within the critical period and that meant some were more likely to have affectionless psychopathy