Maternal Deprivation Flashcards
What did Bowlby believe children needed for normal mental health?
A warm, intimate, and continuous relationship with the mother (or substitute) for emotional and intellectual development.
What is the significance of ‘Mother love’ according to Bowlby?
‘Mother love in infancy and childhood is as important for mental health as are vitamins and proteins for physical health.’
What is Maternal Deprivation?
The serious consequences of being separated from the primary attachment figure.
What constitutes separation in Bowlby’s theory?
The child not being in the presence of the primary attachment figure.
Are brief separations significant for development?
No, brief separations are not significant, especially if the child is left with a substitute.
What can extended separations lead to?
Deprivation, which can cause emotional disturbances in children.
What is the critical period for the effects of separation?
Separation will only have significant effects if it occurs before the age of 2 ½ and no substitute care is provided.
What can potentially avoid damage from maternal deprivation?
Appropriate substitute emotional care, whether male or female.
What causes long-term psychological harm according to Bowlby?
Deprivation causes long-term psychological harm, which can be avoided.
Can the consequences of maternal deprivation be reversed?
Bowlby stated that the consequences cannot be reversed.
What is the internal working model in Bowlby’s theory?
A template for later relationships, where early experiences serve as a blueprint for future relationships.
What are the intellectual consequences of maternal deprivation?
Low IQ.
What are the emotional consequences of maternal deprivation?
Delinquency and affectionless psychopathy.
What is affectionless psychopathy?
The inability to experience guilt or strong emotion for others, leading to criminal behavior and a lack of remorse.
What was the aim of Bowlby’s study on juvenile thieves?
To investigate the long-term effects of maternal deprivation on people to see whether delinquents have suffered deprivation.
How many adolescents were interviewed in Bowlby’s study?
Bowlby interviewed 44 adolescents who were referred to a child protection program in London because of stealing.
What was the control group in Bowlby’s study?
Another group of 44 children referred to a clinic because of emotional problems, but not yet committed any crimes.
What did Bowlby identify some of the thieves as?
Affectionless psychopaths who lacked normal signs of affection, shame, or responsibility.
What percentage of affectionless thieves experienced separations from their mothers before age 2?
86% (12 out of 14) of affectionless thieves experienced separations before age 2.
What percentage of other thieves experienced separations from their mothers before age 2?
17% (5 out of 30) of other thieves experienced separations before age 2.
What was the conclusion of Bowlby’s study?
Affectionless psychopaths show little concern for others and are unable to form relationships.
What did Bowlby conclude about early separations?
Early separations are linked to affectionless psychopathy, which can cause mental disorders.
What was the impact of Robertson’s (1952) study on hospital treatment for children?
Robertson filmed a 2-year-old, Laura, during an 8-day hospital stay, showing her distress and desire to go home. This work, along with Bowlby, led to changes in how children are treated in hospitals.
What are the flaws in Bowlby’s 44 Juvenile Thieves study?
The study was flawed and open to bias, as Bowlby assessed both deprivation and psychopathy with a preconceived notion of what he hoped to find.
What issues were present in Goldfarb’s (1943) study of wartime orphans?
Goldfarb’s study was flawed due to the use of traumatized participants who lacked good aftercare, introducing confounding variables.
What does research with rats indicate about short separations?
Research shows that short separations can harm social development (Levy et al.).
What did Lewis (1954) find in her replication of the 44 juvenile thieves study?
Lewis partially replicated the study on a larger scale (500 people) and found that prolonged separation from the mother did not predict criminality.
What distinction did Michael Rutter (1972) make regarding deprivation and privation?
Rutter suggested that Bowlby may have confused deprivation with privation.
Privation is the failure to form any attachment, while deprivation is the loss of the primary attachment figure after attachment has developed.
What did Koluchova’s (1976) study of the Czech Twins reveal about the critical period?
The study showed that the critical period is more accurately described as a sensitive period, as the twins fully recovered after being cared for by loving adults at age 7.
What were the circumstances of the Czech Twins before their adoption?
At age 2, the twins were locked in a cellar and abused for 6 years, leading to physical and linguistic problems.
What was the outcome for the Czech Twins by age 20?
By age 20, the twins were emotionally and socially stable with above-average intelligence.
