Lesson 10 - Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation

Answer 1

• Continual presence of natural mother or mother-sub is essential for normal psychological development of babies

• separation from mother in early childhood has serious consequences
• first 30 months is critical period for psychological development

Question 2

Intellectual development

Answer 2

• Goldfarb supports claim if children deprived of maternal care then intellectual development suffers

-children in institutions when younger

Question 3

Emotional development

Answer 3

• Bowlby’s stated children deprived of maternal care for too long during critical period become ‘affectionless psychopaths’

-inability to experience guilt/strong emotion for others

Question 4

Bowlby’s 44 Thieves study Procedure

Answer 4

• 44 teens accused of stealing

• interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy
• families interviewed for maternal deprivation

• Control group of non-criminals

• emotionally disturbed teenagers
• compared for maternal deprivation

Question 5

Bowlby’s 44 Thieves Findings

Answer 5

• Thieves

• 14 (30%) affectionless psychopaths
• 12/14 (86%) maternal deprivation
• 5/30 (17%) maternal deprivation

• Control group

-2 (5%) maternal deprivation

Question 6

Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis Strengths

Answer 6

• Levy et al(2003)

• separating baby rats from mother for a day had permanent effect on social development
• truth in MDH animal study support

Question 7

Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis Weaknesses

Answer 7

• Lewis(1954) replicated study on larger scale

• 500 young people looked at
• causation for criminality or social development not found
• other factors affect outcome

• Kulochova(1976) MD reversible

-twin boys isolated from 18 months to 7 years

• looked after by two loving adults
• recovered fully

-not permanent psychological development