Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

What is maternal deprivation?

Answer 1

Deprivation is the loss of the primary attachment figure in the
critical period of 0-30 months.
Bowlby thought children were at continued but lesser risk until the
age of five.
Maternal deprivation could lead to irreversible effects on emotional, social and cognitive development.

Question 2

Describe the procedure of the 44 Juvenile thieves study

Answer 2

• Bowlby analysed the case histories of a number of his patients in the Tavistock Child Guidance Clinic in London where he worked. All the children attending the clinic were emotionally maladjusted.
• He studied 88 of these children – half had been caught stealing (the 44 ‘thieves’) and the other half were a control group – referred to the clinic for emotional issues but not convicted thieves.

-Bowlby suggested that some of the ‘thieves’ were affectionless psychopaths – they lacked normal signs of affection, shame or sense of responsibility. Such characteristics enabled them to be ‘thieves’
- they could steal from others because it didn’t matter to them.

Question 3

What were the findings and conclusions?

Answer 3

• 14 of the 44 thieves had ‘affectionless psychopathy. (none of the control group had)
• 86% of these 14 had experienced a long maternal separation before 5 yrs. old with 17% of the other thieves.

These findings suggest that early separations are linked to affectionless psychopathy. In
other words, lack of continuous care may well cause emotional maladjustment or even
psychological disorders.

Question 4

A03 - Physical Separation

Answer 4

• Bowlby’s theory focuses upon physical separation. Psychological separation may also be significant.
  -Though a clinically depressed mother is physically present, she may be unable to provide suitable emotional care, thus depriving her children of that care.
  -Radke-Yarrow et al. studied mothers who were severely depressed and found that 55% of their children were insecurely attached, compared with 29% in the non-depressed group.
  -This suggests that the theory fails to address psychological separation as a form of deprivation.

Question 5

A03 - Application/Impact

Answer 5

• Bowlby’s study and theory had an enormous impact on post-war thinking about childrearing and also on how children were looked after in hospitals.
  -Before Bowlby’s research children were separated from parents when they spent time in hospital.
  -Visiting was discouraged or even forbidden.
• Bowlby’s work led to a major social change in the way that
  children were cared for in hospital.
• For instance, parents are now encouraged to visit their children
  and there is greater flexibility in visiting hours, reflecting the importance of such contact.
• This demonstrates the positive applications of Bowlby’s research to improving childrearing practices in hospitals.