Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation

Question 1

what does Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation focus on?

Answer 1

the consequences of the deprivation of maternal care.

Question 2

What are the three strands of Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 2

• value of maternal care
• critical period
• long-term concequences

Question 3

describe the value of maternal care.

Answer 3

• prior to Bowlby, it was presumed that children who’d been separated from caregivers required a physical comfort i.e food.
• Bowlby shed light on the importance of a warm, intimate and continuous relationship with a maternal figure.

Question 4

describe the critical period

Answer 4

-separation will have an effect on development if it happens before the age of 2.5 and if there’s no mother substitute, there is a continued risk up until the age of 5.

Question 5

describe what is meant by the long-term consequences

Answer 5

-a child who experiences attachment deprivation will experience emotional maladjustments and mental health problems like depression.

Question 6

what’s one weakness of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?

Answer 6

too simplistic
RUTTER (1981)
-rutter argued the term doesn’t take into account whether the child’s attachment bond had formed and been broken or had never formed in the first place. He argued if the latter, the lack of emotional bond would have more serious consequences.
-as such, he used the term ‘privation’ to refer to the failure to form attachments and ‘deprivation’ to refer one that’s been formed but lost.

Question 7

what is one strength of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?

Answer 7

it’s applicable to everyday life

• in the past, children were separated from their parents when they spent time in hospital. Visiting was discouraged or even forbidden
• Bowlby’s research led to social change in the way children were treated in hospitals

Question 8

what’s another strength of Bowlby’s theory?

Answer 8

support for long-term effects and critical period.
ANTONIO BUFULCO (1992)
-he believed experiencing early maternal deprivation does not always result in negative outcomes but increases the likelihood that this will happen 

carried out a study of women who’d been separated from their mothers due to death or temporary separation of over a year.
he found:
-25% later experienced depression or anxiety disorder compared to 15% who experienced no separation
-the mental health problems were much greater in those women who’s loss occurred before the age of 6, thus supporting Bowlby’s critical period.