Privation Flashcards
Define Privation
A complete lack of emotional bond, meaning the child never formed an attachment first.
Give an example of Privation producing negative effects- Genie Case Study
Genie Wiley was locked in her bedroom for 12 years after her father believed that she had mental issues, and needed to be locked away. She was tied to a potty chair in the daytime, and bound to her bed, in a sleeping bag at night. He beat her if she spoke, and growled and barked at her. At 13, her mother left her father and took Genie. she was found and couldn’t stand upright, walk, chew or use the toilet. She was rehabilitated, and developed well, but was taken away from the researchers and sent back home, and then into care, where she was abused. She is still alive in a hospital.
Genie APFCE (Curtiss 1977)
Aim- To see if privation can be reversed. To see if language can be learnt after the critical period.
Procedure- The researchers observed how Genie developed, and began teaching her grammar and language.They studied for years, before she was taken away.
Results- She began to learn and grow, and her mental state increased from the age of 1 to 5. However, she never developed ‘normally’, and couldn’t learn language or grammar.
Conclusion- Her left hemisphere shrunk by her ordeal, and was unable to learn, which suggests that if a child is past the critical phase, they can never learn.
Evaluation, Strengths:
It was very important, and proved lotrs of theories.
The case study gave her a better quality of life.
Weaknesses:
The results were inconclusive.
We cannot generalise from case studies.
It was ethically wrong.
Give another example of Privation Koluchuva twins (1972)
In 1960, two twin boys were born, however, after a few months, they lost their mother, and were put into care, and cared for by an aunt for six months. When they were 18 months old, they were taken to live with their father. However, their stepmother locked them away in a room and beat them for five years, until they were rescued. They had rickets,were small and couldn’t talk. They were placed in a school for children with learning disabilities, where they flourished and they went to a normal school, and their IQ became normal at 15. In 1991, they were both married with children.
Compare the pieces of evidence about Privation
Similarities:
Both couldn’t talk, walk or comprehend.
Both were privated.
Differences:
Genie found privation couldn’t be reversed, Koluchuva found the opposite.
There was a large age difference.
There was a difference in time for privation.
Their quality of care was hugely different.
The twins had each other.
Gender and Culture were different
