maternal deprivation Flashcards
What is the basis of the maternal deprivation theory?
Continual nurture from mother is essential for normal psychological development
What is separation?
Child not in presence of primary attachment figure
What is deprivation?
Losing an element of care during separation
Is separation harmful?
No, only deprivation
What is the critical period for psychological development?
30 months
Being deprived in this period means damage is inevitable
How does deprivation affect intellectual development?
Delayed intellectual development
Abnormally low IQ
Goldfarb - lower IQ in institutionalised children
How does deprivation affect emotional development?
Affectionless psychopathy - inability to experience guilt or strong emotion for others
Can’t develop normal relationships
Criminality
Lack of remorse
What is the main study for maternal deprivation?
Bowlby’s 44 thieves study
Describe the 44 thieves procedure
44 criminal teenagers
Interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy
Families interviewed to check for prolonged separations
Control group of non criminal emotionally disturbed people set up
Describe the findings of the 44 thieves study
14 of 44 thieves were affectionless psychopaths
12 of these had prolonged separation
5 of remaining 30 had separations
CONTROL
2 had long separations
Prolonged separation = affectionless psychopathy
Evaluation - poor evidence
Bowlby’s evidence included studies of orphans from WW2 and poor quality orphanages
War orphans traumatised
PQO deprived many aspects of care not just maternal
44 thieves study was biased - Bowlby knew what he wanted to find
Evaluation - counter evidence
Lewis - replicated 44 thieves
Prolonged separation did not predict criminality
Evaluation - critical period is actually more sensitive
Damage is not inevitable
If child has good aftercare and social interaction
Koluchova - twins isolated from 18 months
Recovered fully
Evaluation - animal studies show effects of maternal deprivation
Levy - separating baby rats from mother for a day
Permanent effect on social development
Evaluation - failure to distinguish between deprivation and privation
Rutter - Bowlby muddled the 2
Deprivation is loss of caregiver after attachment has developed
Privation is failure to form attachment
Severe damage is result of privation
