bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation

Question 1

what did Bowlby famously say ?

Answer 1

• mother-love in infancy and childhood is as important for mental health as are vitamins and proteins for physical health (Bowlby 1953)

Question 2

what became before Bowlby’s theory of attachment ?

Answer 2

• maternal deprivation hypothesis

Question 3

what does Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis focus on ?

Answer 3

• the effects of early experience + how it could interfere with the usual process of attachment

Question 4

what does being seperated from a mother in early childhood do ?

Answer 4

• has serious consequences for emotional and intellectual development

Question 5

what is the difference between deprivation and separation ?

Answer 5

separation
- not in the presence of a primary attachment figure
- okay in small doses
deprivation
- loss of emotional care
- no adequate substitute care
- not okay

Question 6

why is brief separation not much of an issue ?

Answer 6

• for the child’s development
  –> provided substitute care

Question 7

what did bowlby consider the critical period for in terms of psychological development ?

Answer 7

• the 1st 30 months of life

Question 8

what results in inevitable psychological damage ?

Answer 8

• continued deprivation with an absence of adequate emotional care

Question 9

what are 2 types of development that maternal deprivation effects ?

Answer 9

• intellectual development
• emotional development

Question 10

what does maternal deprivation effect in terms of intellectual development ?

Answer 10

• extended deprivation of maternal care during critical periods –> delayed ID
  –> low IQ

Question 11

what was the studies that demonstrated delayed intellectual development ?

Answer 11

• Goldfarb (1947) + lower IQ in children who remained in institutions
  –> therefore had a lower standard of care
  children who were fostered
  –> had a higher standard of emotional care

Question 12

what does maternal deprivation effect in terms of emotional development ?

Answer 12

• affectionless psychopathy
  –> inability to experience guilt or strong emotion for others
• inability to form normal relationships
• also associated with criminality

Question 13

what was the study that was conducted by Bowlby ?

Answer 13

44 thieves study (1944)

Question 14

what was the aim of Bowlby’s study ?

Answer 14

• to see if early separation from the primary caregiver was associated with behavioural disorders

Question 15

how did Bowlby gain the participants and how was it set out ?

Answer 15

• compared 2 groups of children
  —> a group of 44 individuals who exhibited problematic thieving behaviour
  and
  –> a control group of 44 children who attended the clinic but did not engage in theft
• children were already receiving treatment at Bowlby’s clinic –> opportunity sampling

Question 16

what was the findings of Bowlby’s study ?

Answer 16

-

Question 17

what was the conclusion of Bowlby’s study ?

Question 18

what was the method of Bowlby’s study ?

Answer 18

• 31 boys and 13 were girls
  –> aged around 5 to 17
• IQ was measured using a test
  –> found that they generally had average