Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

Deprivation definition

Answer 1

The loss of something that is wanted or needed. So ‘maternal deprivation’ is the loss of the mother for a more long-term or permenant loss.

Can be emotional loss as well as physical (emotionally unavailable)

Question 2

Separation definition

Answer 2

Where the child is away from the carer they’re attached to.

This term is used when it’s a relatively short time – not a longer/permanent separation.

Question 3

What is the critical period?

Answer 3

Bowlby originally suggested that if a child does not form an attachment before the age of two and a half years (the critical period) then an attachment would never occur.

He later revised his theory and proposed a sensitive period (where an attachment can still form, although it takes longer) of up to 5 years.

Question 4

Why is a strong attachment to mother figure essential?

Answer 4

For psychological, emotional, and intellectual development.
Frequent or prolonged separation would lead to long-term, irreversible psychological damage.

Question 5

What is Bowlby’s long term consequence

Answer 5

He suggested that the long-term consequence of deprivation was emotional maladjustment or even mental health problems such as depression

Question 6

Physical consequences of maternal deprivation

Answer 6

A correlation with physical underdevelopment

Question 7

Intellectual consequences of maternal deprivation

Answer 7

A correlation with low IQ scores

Question 8

Emotional consequences of maternal deprivation

Answer 8

Affectionless psychopathy –> the inability to experience guilt or empathise with others, meaning that an affectionless psychopath does not care about how their own behaviour may affect others and is therefore strongly linked to criminality.

Question 9

Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves study (1944 ) - PROCEDURE/METHOD

Answer 9

• Sample of 88 children attending his clinic
• Group 1 = thief group: 34 boys and 10 girls (44 in total). Referred to him because of stealing.
• Group 2 = Control group: 34 boys and 10 girls (44). Referred to him because of emotional problems.
• Children and parents interviewed and tested by psychiatrist (Bowlby), a psychologist, and a social worker focusing specifically on their early life experiences.

Question 10

Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves study (1944 ) - FINDINGS

Answer 10

• 17 of the thieves had experienced frequent separations from their mother before 2 yo, compared to 2 in control group.
• 14 thieves diagnosed as affectionless psychopaths. 12 of these experienced separations.
• Out of the 44 children, only 2 had experienced prolonged separations and and non of them were APs.

Question 11

Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves study (1944 ) - CONCLUSIONS

Answer 11

• Maternal deprivation does lead to emotional and behavioural disorders.
• In it’s most severe form, leads to antisocial behaviours such as theft.

Question 12

Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves study (1944 ) - EVALUATION

Question 13

Robertson and Robertson (1968) - METHOD

Answer 13

• Girl is taken to hospital for a minor operation, selected at random.
• Naturalistic observation. Filming schedule of child –> to ensure objectivity and allow discussion between interested groups
• Schedule of timing agreed before hand –> record main events and a daily ‘time sample’
• Child was not segregated (isolated)
• Little Laura

Question 14

Robertson and Robertson (1968) - RESULTS

Answer 14

• She was deeply distressed and often begged for her mother or to go home.
• Uses a blanket as comfort.
• On the second day she looks strained and sad.

Question 15

Robertson and Robertson (1968) - CONCLUSION

Answer 15

• Cycle of withdrawal, breakdown and resumed control.
• Final feeling of anger – snatched a dropped book from one of the nurses.
• At the time visiting children in hospital was discouraged.
• We now realise that it’s important that attachment figures spend as much time with their child in hospital as possible.

Question 16

Robertson and Robertson (1968) - EVALUATION

Question 17

Emotional separation could be more important than physical separation

Radke-Yarrow et al (1985)

Answer 17

P: infants can still experience deprivation even if they are not physically separated from their caregiver.

E: A mother who is severly depressed may find it difficult to provide emotional care. Radke-Yarrow et al (1985) found that 55% of children with severly depressed mothers were insecurly attached, in comparison to 29% of children with non-depressed mothers.

E: This suggests that psychological seperation can also lead to deprivation, in the same way as physical separation.

Question 18

There is a difference between deprivation and privation

Answer 18

P: Rutter (1981) claimed that Bowlby did not make it clear whether the child’s attachment bond had formed but been broken (deprivation), or had never been formed in the first place (privation).

E: Rutter believes that the lack of an attachment bond would have far more serious consequences for the child than the loss of attachment bond.

E: This is important because there is a key distinction between deprivation and privation, and a lack of clarity may affect the validity of research findings.