Maternal Deprivation Theory

Question 1

Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory

Answer 1

It suggests that the nurturing presence of the mother is seen rial for the emotional and intellectual development of the child and being separated from your mother during childhood has serious irreversible consequences according to Bowlby.
Deprivation is when the child looses an element of the mothers care this occurs if there is an extended separation between the infant and carer.
This is especially true for the first 30 months of life which Bowlby say as the critical period for psychological development and deprivation of the mother during this time would lead to inevitable and lasting damage to the child

Question 2

Harm of maternal deprivation

Answer 2

It would lead to less intellectual development leading to a lower IQ, Goldfarb found that children raised in orphanages from a young age had a lower IQ on average then others who had been fostered

2) it will lessen their emotional development, Bowlby thought they may become affection less psychopaths unable to feel guilt or strong emotions for others, this is associated with criminality and inability to form normal relationships.

Question 3

Bowlby’s 44 thieves study

Answer 3

Bowlby interviewed 44 children accused of stealing (“thieves”) and looked for signs of affection less psychopathy and asked if they had ever had prolonged separations from their mothers.
A control group of non criminal but emotional disturbed teenagers was used as well

14/44 (30%) thieves could be described as affection less psychopaths and 12 of those 14 (86%) had experienced prolong separations from their mothers. In the remains thieves thus rate was only 17% and fir the control group it was 5%. Bowlby then concluded that maternal deprivation causes affection less psychopathy

Question 4

Evaluation.

Answer 4

• ) the evidence is often poor, he used flawed methods such as how he carried out the 44 thieves interviews himself and would have shown bias, and by looking at orphans many where war orphans who where traumatised and deprived all forms of care not just motherly care.
• ) Lewis replicated the 44 thieves study on a larger scale (500 pps) and found that early separation from the mother did not predict criminality or difficulty forming close relationships suggesting other factors not the separation cause these events
• ) the effects are reversible unlike what Bowlby said, two twins where isolated from 18 months old to 7 years old but looked after by foster parents afterwards and they recovered fully suggesting maternal deprivation doesn’t always cause long term or permanent psychological harm

+) animal studies do seek to support Bowlby’s claim with Levy showing that separating baby rates from their mothers for a day led to permanent effects on their social development but not anything else so the effects are not as severe as Bowlby says.