psychodynamic classic evidence - bowlby Flashcards
what was bowlby researching
he investigated the link between disrupted childhood development and julenile delinquency
what was the methodology of bowlby
44 children (31 boys 13 girls) from ages 5-17yrs london child guidance clinic who were thieves were placed into tables of AGE, INTELLIGENCE, and CHARACTER TYPE
44 children were a control group and matched (not matched pairs design) on age gender and IQ (34 boys 10 girls) - also considered emotionally disturbed. mothers of all 88 children were interviewed to provide case history of the children’s lives. participants obtained using OPPORTUNITY SAMPLE
describe the procedures of bowlby
an initial assessment was given to the children. Stanford Binet was used to assess intelligence and emotional attitude was also assessed. a social worker interviewed the mothers and recorded details of child’s psychiatric history. interviewed the child and mother. team collected school and medical reports (secondary data). for 6 mths or more, children met weekly with psychiatrist whilst mother talked with social worker. detailed case history was recorded
describe the findings of bowlby
the children fitted into 6 main personality types (NORMAL, DEPRESSED, CIRCULAR, HYPERTHERMIC, AFFECTIONLESS (14) and SCHIZOID)
AFFECTIONLESS (14) ‘solitary, undemonstrative and unresponsive’ parents and foster parents - ‘he is so deep’ ‘we never seem to get near her’. they lied more frequently and more brazen. majority stole alone. if not, they had no emotional ties to the other children. 12 of the 14 affectionless children experienced frequent separation from their mothers. on other categories, only 5 and only 2 in control group. 13 of 14 affectionless theives were in grade IV - ‘far more likely to steal in a persistent and serious way than are delinquents of other types’
no affectionless in control group.
name 1 affectionless character case in bowlby’s study
KENNETH G
-12
-indifferent to his mother
-usually obeyed stepfather
-resents mother for taking him away from his loving foster parents at 3 1/2
- feels ‘above’ other boys, never stuck to friends
- lack of affection, actively cruel (especially to older sister and mother)
-mother neurotic, threatens to leave
- father kind, occasionally hits
ALBERT S
-9
-looked after my mothers stepsister who hoped he’d die
- adoptive mother either super loving or resentful
- foster dad beats wife, drinks
-house dirty, he is neglected and abused
- he does not respond to punishment or reward
- tied himself up with string in his room
conclusions of bowlby
children who steal persistently are of an affectionless character, which has resulted from them having suffered prolonged separation from their mothers during childhood. bowlby concluded the children wouldn’t have become offenders if they didn’t have harmful experiences to early development- this supports the psychodynamic view that early experience are vital in later development
exaltation bowlby
STRENGTH - use of interview, build trusting rapport mothers feel more comfortable sharing experiences compared to questionnaire
WEAKNESS - sample all drawn from London Guidance clinic. lack pop. validity, hard to generalise to delinquents from other areas
WEAKNESS - use of interview, social desirability bias from mother, may lie about home life in interview as it may reflect poorly on them
one postive ethical issue bowlby
protection from harm - although mothers may expedite distress recalling difficult home issues, children had access to psychiatrist weekly for 6+ months
negative ethical issues of bowlby
confidentiality - children gathered from clinic and names included - can easily be traced
privacy - asking personal q’s around home life + criminal behaviour, may feel uncomfortable sharing personal info (for mothers and children)
