L7 - Bowlby's Theory of Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

What is maternal deprivation?

Answer 1

• Bowlby (1953) proposed that children who suffer from prolonged emotional deprivation, caused by the absence of their primary attachment figure (usually but not always the mother) wiould have long-term intellectual (lower IQ), social (delinquency) and emotional (affectionless psychopathy) difficulties + mental health issues
• According to continuity hypothesis, these effects are irreversible and will continue into adulthood due to lack of an internal working model - could even lead to inability to be a good parent
• negative impact of maternal deprivation could occur if the seperation occurs before child two and a half years old (critical period) - although risk up to five years old (sensitive period) + there is no sub mother-figure available to take over emotional care of child

Question 2

What did Bowlby do 1944?

Answer 2

• analysed case histories of patients in Child Guidance Clinic in London - all children emotionally maladjusted
• studies 88 children - half caught stealing (44 theives) + other half control group
• Bowlby suggested that 14 of thieves were affectionless psychopaths - lacked affection/shame/responsibility for their actions
• found that these individuals had experienced frequent early seperartions from their mothers (repeated stays in foster care/ time in hospital) - 12 of affectionless psychopaths had experienced frequent seperations from their mothers compared to the 5/30 of the thieves who were not classes as affectionless psychopaths
• almost non of the control group had experienced early seperations from their mothers

Question 3

what are the strengths of Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation?

Answer 3

+ before Bowlby’s theory hospitals would not allow parents to visit their children during stays in hospital (or only infrequent visits) - often had profound + damaging effect on child. Nowadays parents are actively encouraged to stay in hospital with their children

+ Spitz examined children raised in a apoor quality orphanage in South America - memebers of staff overworked/ under trained/ rarely gave the children attention or affection - children displayed anaclitic depression

+ Skodak + Skeeles found that children placed in institutions that only looked after them physically scored poorly on intelligence test BUT when same children transferred to institution which gavr children emotional care, the IQ scores improved by almost 30 points

Question 4

What are the weaknesses of Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation?

Answer 4

• the effects of maternal deprivation have been shown to be irreversible - children who never formed attachments and were adopted after the age of four were still able to form attachments to their new parents (Tizard et al)
• Bowlby did not distinguish between deprivation (when attachment lost) and pirvation (when child never formed an attachment) - could be latter that causes extreme negative effects observed in some studies