Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

Maternal deprivation

Answer 1

Prolonged separation between a child and mother-figure, causing damage to emotional and intellectual development

Question 2

Critical period

Answer 2

Absence of suitable care in first 2.5 years results in inevitable psychological damage (poor intellectual development – low IQ and poor emotional development – affectionless psychopathy)

Question 3

Bowlby (1944)

Answer 3

44 thieves and families interviewed. 14 described as affectionless psychopaths and 12 experienced prolonged separation from mothers in first 2 years

Question 4

Strength of maternal deprivation

Answer 4

• Research support (eg. Levy showed separating baby rats from their mother for even a day had a permanent effect on social development)

Question 5

Limitations of maternal deprivation

Answer 5

• Researcher bias (eg. Bowlby knew in advance which teens were expected to show psychopathy)
• Confusion between deprivation and privation (eg. Rutter suggests failure to form attachment in the first place causes more long-term damage than loss of primary attachment figure)
• Sensitive not critical period (eg. Czech Twins experienced severe physical and emotional abuse from 18 months to 7 but received good care in teens and fully recovered)