Romanian Orphans, influence of early attachment, maternal deprivation Flashcards
What is Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?
–Confounding variables. The studies’ methodology was not matched when comparing countries. Confounding variables such as poverty, class and urban/rural make up can confound results. Environmental variables like the size of the room in the strange situation were not uniform. Therefore lacks internal validity in this respect.
–Imposing a test designed for one culture onto another. Strange situation developed in the USA, where a lack of affection is viewed as avoidance. However in Germany, this would be viewed as independence. So comparing cross cultural strange situations is pointless.
–Some of the sample sizes from the countries were small. Only one study from Sweden, China and UK which may not be able to be generalised.
Separation and deprivation?
Separation only becomes a problem when the child becomes deprived of emotional care which can happen even if the mother is present.
What are the consequences of maternal deprivation?
An inability to form attachments in the future, affectionless psychopathy, delinquency and problems with cognitive development
What is affectionless psychopathy?
The inability to experience guilt or strong emotion for others
What is deliquency?
violations of the criminal law and other misbehavior committed by young people
What is Bowlby’s critical period for maternal deprivation?
2 years, with risk up to five.
Bowlby’s research aim?
To examine the link between maternal deprivation and affection less psychopathy.
Bowlby’s research procedure?
-Sample of 44 criminals convicted of stealing, compared to 44 non-criminal but emotionally disturbed teenagers.
-Interviews and questionnaires about lack of affection, lack of remorse and empathy for their victims.
-The families also were interviewed to see if there was an early separation from the mothers.
Bowlby’s research findings?
-Out of the 14 found affectionless psychopaths, 12 of them had early separation. Only 5 of the remaining 30 thieves had early separation.
-Only 2 out of the 44 non-thieves had experienced separation.
-Bowlby therefore concluded that prolonged separation in early life caused affectionless psychopathy.
Strength of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?
-Practical applications- Highlight the importance of positive attachment experiences which allows for greater stability in childcare. Children have assigned caregivers and hospital visiting hours/policies have been altered so young children can visit their mothers. Governments have provided more financial support for maternity and paternity leave, so infants can be with their parents full time.
-Levy et al (2003) shows that separating baby rats from their mothers for as little as a day has permanent social implications, though not other aspects.
Limitations of Bowlby’s theory and research?
-The 44 thieves study is flawed as Bowlby designed the experiment himself. It may have been subject to investigator effects. Therefore the results may have been distorted by researcher confirmation bias.
-The conclusions are correlational. Bowlby found a relationship but did not prove that the separation was the cause. There may have been a third undefined variable.
-Retrospective recall might be inaccurate. Bowbly asked adolescent teenagers to recall separations so they may be inaccurate/distorted.
-Most attempts to replicate the 44 thieves study have failed to attain the same results. Lewis (1954) looked at 500 teenagers and found no association between early separation and later psychopathy.
-Oversimplified- Michael Rutter reviewed Bowlby’s research and highlighted the importance of different types of negative experiences in early life, which Bowlby fails to do so. Separation from figure, loss of attachment figure and a complete lack of attachment (privation). Rutter argues that these different scenarios have different consequences.
-Evidence for a longer critical period (Czech twins).W
What does the Czech twins study show?
-Isolated in their cellar from 18 months to 7 years.
-When they were discovered they had no speech and communicated with gestures.
-By their teens they had fully recovered with the help of a loving foster home.
-They were intellectually above average and were able to have long term relationships.
-Effects of privation/deprivation can be revered.
-So more of a sensitive period.
What did Bowlby suggest about early infleunce?
Bowlby suggested that a baby’s first relationship with the primary attachment figure creates a mental representation of their future relationships.
-Babies who have a loving first relationship, will actively seek out functional relationships and behave functionally within them.
Impact of secure attachment?
trusting and caring relationship
Impact of insecure avoidant?
Detached and distanced.
Impact of insecure resistant?
Clingy, emotional and needy
Impact of insecure disorganised?
unpredictable, eratic and abusive.
Impact of insecure disinhibited?
cheating and inappropriate relationships.
Impact on childhood relationships?
Attachment type is associated with the quality of peer relationships in childhood.
Wilson and Smith 1998?
1998
Used questionnaires to test attachment type and bullying involvement
196 children aged 7-11 rom London
Secure children very unlikely to be involved in bullying
Insecure avoidant most likely to be victims and insecure resistant most likely to be bullies
Hazan and Shaver?
They found that adults’ love relationships paralleled the three patterns of attachment seen in infants.
-620 replies to a questionnaire in a newspaper. Questionnaire assessed current relationship, general experience of love and the early attachment type they had.
-56% secure and had long lasting relationships.
-25% insecure avoidant who were jealous and had fear of intimacy.
-19% insecure resistant who believed love was rare and struggled to maintain relationships.
Hazan and Shaver evaluation?
self report method could have social desirability, or leading questions so lower external validity. Retrospective data could be flawed memories. Volunteer bias and specific to the area of newspaper.
Bailey et al 2007?
Considered attachments of 99 mothers to their babies and to their own mothers.
Mother baby attachment was assessed using the strange situation and mother’s attachment to own mother was assessed by an interview.
Majority of women had the same classification
Strengths of influence of early attachment?
Research support- Reviews of the above research have concluded that early attachment consistently predicts later attachment and emotional wellbeing. The strength of these relationships depends on both the attachment type and later development.
