Bowlbys Theory Of Meternal Deprivation

Question 1

What is the definition of Maternal Deprivation Theory?

Answer 1

An explanation of the emotional and intellectual consequences of disrupting attachment bonds that sees serious, permanent damage to children’s development.

This theory was proposed by John Bowlby.

Question 2

What is meant by ‘separation’ in the context of Maternal Deprivation Theory?

Answer 2

Short-term disruption of an attachment bond.

Examples include attending day-care or being left with a babysitter.

Question 3

What does ‘deprivation’ refer to in Maternal Deprivation Theory?

Answer 3

Long-term disruption of an attachment bond.

This often occurs through divorce, death, or imprisonment of a parent.

Question 4

What is the ‘critical period’ for attachment formation according to Bowlby?

Answer 4

A specific time within which an attachment must form if it is to form at all.

Bowlby saw the first 30 months as critical, with continued risk up to age 5.

Question 5

What is ‘affectionless psychopathy’?

Answer 5

A term used by Bowlby to describe people who do not show concern or affection for other people and show no, or very little, remorse or guilt.

This condition can arise from maternal deprivation.

Question 6

What did Bowlby propose about continuous care from a mother?

Answer 6

It was essential for normal psychological development.

Prolonged separation from this adult causes serious damage to the child’s emotional and intellectual development.

Question 7

What did Bowlby believe about psychological damage related to separation?

Answer 7

Psychological damage was inevitable if prolonged separation occurred during the critical period, in the absence of other suitable care.

This highlights the importance of the attachment figure.

Question 8

What type of absence does deprivation imply?

Answer 8

A lengthy or permanent absence of an attachment figure.

This can occur due to various circumstances such as divorce or the mental health issues of the mother.

Question 9

What were the findings of Bifulco et al. (1992) regarding maternal death?

Answer 9

25% of women experienced depression or an anxiety disorder after maternal death, compared to 15% who had no such experience.

The mental health problems were greater if the loss occurred before the age of six.

Question 10

True or False: Brief separations are significant for a child’s development.

Answer 10

False.

Brief separations, particularly with a substitute caregiver providing emotional care, are not significant.

Question 11

What did Bowlby believe regarding maternal care during the critical period?

Answer 11

If children are deprived of maternal care for too long, they will suffer delayed intellectual development

Characterized by an abnormally low IQ.

Question 12

What was the average IQ of the fostered group in Goldfar’s study?

Answer 12

96

This was assessed using the Stanford-Binet test.

Question 13

What was the average IQ of the group that remained in the orphanage in Goldfar’s study?

Answer 13

68

This demonstrates the impact of maternal deprivation on intellectual development.

Question 14

What risk develops in children when maternal deprivation occurs?

Answer 14

Affectionless psychopathy

This includes a lack of empathy and responsibility.

Question 15

What was the aim of Bowlby’s 44 Thieves Study?

Answer 15

To investigate whether juvenile delinquency could be linked to maternal deprivation

Conducted between 1936 and 1939.

Question 16

How many children were selected for Bowlby’s 44 Thieves Study?

Answer 16

88 children

This included 44 juvenile thieves and 44 in a control group.

Question 17

What was the composition of the juvenile thieves in Bowlby’s study?

Answer 17

31 boys and 13 girls

They were referred to Bowlby due to their stealing.

Question 18

What method was used to gather data on the children’s early life in Bowlby’s study?

Answer 18

Interviews with the children and their parents

Conducted by a psychiatrist, psychologist, and social worker.

Question 19

How many of the juvenile thieves were identified as affectionless psychopaths?

Answer 19

14

12 of these had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers.

Question 20

What was the proportion of juvenile thieves who experienced prolonged separation from their mothers?

Answer 20

12 out of 14 affectionless psychopaths

Had experienced separation of more than six months.

Question 21

How many children in the control group experienced prolonged separations?

Answer 21

2

None were classified as affectionless psychopaths.

Question 22

What percentage of children classified as affectionless psychopaths experienced prolonged separation from their primary caregiver?

Answer 22

86%

This supports Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation.

Question 23

What did Furstenberg and Kiernan (2001) find regarding children experiencing divorce?

Answer 23

They scored lower on measures of social development, emotional well-being, self-concept, educational achievement, and physical health.

This suggests that divorce has wide-ranging negative emotional effects on children’s development.

Question 24

What type of evidence is most commonly linked to short-term separation and negative developmental outcomes?

Answer 24

Correlational evidence

This means it does not show cause and effect.

Question 25

What did Kagan et al. (1978) conclude about the link between separation and emotional difficulties?

Answer 25

They found no direct causal link. ## Footnote This limits the explanatory power of Bowlby's maternal deprivation theory.

Question 26

What factor may influence how well children cope with separation according to Barrett (1997)?

Answer 26

Individual differences in emotional maturity ## Footnote More mature children cope better with separation.

Question 27

What did Richards (1987) find regarding attachment disruption through different circumstances?

Answer 27

It leads to different outcomes such as resentment and stress from divorce and depression and delinquency from death. ## Footnote This suggests that the circumstances of deprivation affect children's later development.

Question 28

How did Bowlby's work impact child care in hospitals?

Answer 28

It led to encouraging at least one caregiver to remain with children and more flexible visiting hours. ## Footnote This was aimed at preventing negative consequences from breaking the attachment bond.

Question 29

What methodological flaw is present in Bowlby's 44 Thieves Study?

Answer 29

Bowlby interviewed the boys himself, which may have introduced researcher bias. ## Footnote This raises questions about the objectivity of the original research supporting maternal deprivation theory.

Question 30

What issue arises from including children orphaned during the Second World War in Bowlby's sample?

Answer 30

They were often traumatized and deprived of many types of care, not just maternal care. ## Footnote This affects the validity of the results and reduces the credibility of the supporting evidence for maternal deprivation theory.

Question 31

Fill in the blank: Bowlby's maternal deprivation theory may not be applicable to all children due to _______.

Answer 31

individual differences ## Footnote This indicates that children react differently to separation.

Question 32

True or False: Bowlby's maternal deprivation theory has been widely accepted without criticism.

Answer 32

False ## Footnote There are methodological flaws and questions about the evidence supporting the theory.

Question 33

What method did Bowlby use to gather evidence in the 44 thieves study?

Answer 33

Clinical interviews with children and their parents

Question 34

What is a potential issue with the memories reported in Bowlby's study?

Answer 34

They may not be accurate

Question 35

What does the inaccuracy of memories imply about maternal deprivation theory?

Answer 35

It may be based on inaccurate evidence

Question 36

What did Lewis (1954) find in her replication of Bowlby's 44 thieves study?

Answer 36

Prolonged separation from the mother did not predict criminality or relationship difficulties

Question 37

What does Lewis's study suggest about early maternal deprivation?

Answer 37

Other factors may impact outcomes, and separation does not lead to being an affectionless psychopath

Question 38

What aspect of Bowlby's definition of deprivation was criticized by Rutter (1981)?

Answer 38

Lack of clarity on whether the attachment bond was formed and broken or never formed

Question 39

What distinction did Rutter suggest regarding attachment bonds?

Answer 39

Privation (failure to form an attachment) vs. deprivation (attachment bond broken)

Question 40

How might a lack of clarity in Bowlby's definition affect research validity?

Answer 40

It impacts the validity of findings supporting maternal deprivation theory