Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation

Question 1

What is maternal deprivation?

Answer 1

Emotional and intellectual consequences of a mother-child separation

Question 2

What did Bowlby say about the significance of the mother?

Answer 2

• Continual prescence of care is essential for normal psychological development

Question 3

What is separation?

Answer 3

• Child not in the prescence of a primary attachment figure

Question 4

What is deprivation, and how does it occur?

Answer 4

• Child is deprived of emotional care
• Extended separations can lead to deprivation

Question 5

What is the critical period according to Bowlby?

Answer 5

• 2.5 years
• Continuing risk up to 5 years

Question 6

What are the 2 effects of deprivation on development?

Answer 6

• Intellectual development
• Emotional development

Question 7

What is the intellectual development effect?

Answer 7

• Delayed intelllectual development (low IQ)

Question 8

What is the emotional development effect?

Answer 8

• Affectionless psychopathy- inability to experience strong guilt or emotions
• Prevents people from developing fulfilling relationships
• Associated with criminality
• Lack of remorse

Question 9

What did Bowlby intend to study?

Answer 9

• 44 thieves study= link between affectionless psychopathy and maternal deprivation

Question 10

What was Bowlby’s procedure?

Answer 10

• 44 criminal teens (thieves)
• Interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy
• Families interviewed to see if teens had prolonged separations
• Compared to control group (44 non-criminal, but emotional disturbed)

Question 11

What were Bowlby’s findings?

Answer 11

• 14/44= affectionless psychopaths
• 12/14 experiences prolonged separation
• 5/30 (remaining) experienced prolonged separations
• 2/44 (control) experienced prolonged separation
• Concluded= prolonged deprivation causes affectionless psychopathy

Question 12

What are the strengths of research into maternal deprivation?

Answer 12

• Research evidence

Question 13

What are the limitations of research into maternal deprivation?

Answer 13

• Flawed evidence
• Deprivation and privation
• Critical vs sensitive period

Question 14

Strength:
I- Research evidence supports Bowlby’s theory

Answer 14

D- Levy et al showed that separating baby rats from mothers had permenant effects on social development (long-term effects)
E- Sources of evidence to support

Question 15

Limitation-
I- Evidence is flawed

Answer 15

D- 44 thieves study carried out by Bowlby- open to bias (knew who experienced separations in advance). Goldfarb- development of kids in wartime orphanages- confounding variables
E- Sources of evidence had serious flaws and are seen as invalid

Question 16

Limitation-
I- Confusion over deprivation vs privation

Answer 16

D- Rutter drew a distinction between the 2. Deprivation= loss of primary attachment figure, after attachment has developed. Bowlby and Goldfarb’s studies shows privation
E- Overestimated seriousness of deprivational effects on development

Question 17

Limitation-
I- Confusion over critical vs sensitive period

Answer 17

D- Koluchova’s case of Czech twins- physical and emotional abuse from 18 months to 7 years. Received care and fully recovered by teens- aftercare prevents damage
E- Lasting harm is not inevitable, so critical period is more likely a sensitive period