Theory of Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

Who’s Theory is it?

Answer 1

Bowlby’s

Question 2

Maternal Deprivation

Answer 2

Separation is when a child is not in the presence of their primary attachment figure and is not harmful especially when they are with a substitute caregiver who can provide emotional care, but if the child’s emotional care is not taken care of this is when deprivation occurs which is harmful. For the first 2 and half years if they are separated and don’t have a suitable carer so deprived for an extended duration of time then psychological damage is inevitable.

Question 3

Effects of Maternal Deprivation

Answer 3

Intellectual development and emotional development.

Question 4

Intellectual Development.

Answer 4

Experience delayed intellectual development characterised by an abnormally low IQ.

Question 5

Emotional Development

Answer 5

May develop affectionless psychopathy which is an inability to experience guilt or strong emotions towards other, preventing them developing fulfilling relationships and has been associated with criminality, they cannot appreciate feelings of victims so lack remorse for actions.

Question 6

Research into Affectionless Psychopathy

Answer 6

Bowlby (1944). Sample consisted of 44 criminal teenagers and were interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy characterised by lack of affection, lack of guilt, and lack of empathy. Families also interviewed to see if had prolonged separation. Compared to control group of 44 non criminals but emotionally disturbed. 14/44 described as affectionless psychopaths and 12 experienced prolong separation. In contrast only 5 of remaining 30 and 2 in control group. Concluded prolonged separation caused affectionless psychopathy.

Question 7

Strength (L)

Answer 7

Research support.
Levy et al (2003) showed separating baby rats from mothers for a day had permanent effects on social development.
Shows has significant impact on development giving it validity.
However… it is on rats so cannot be generalised.

Question 8

Strength (B)

Answer 8

Supportive evidence.
Bowlby’s 44 thieves study showed there was a link between affectionless psychopathy and maternal deprivation.
Shows if deprived during critical period will be damaged emotionally and socially.
However… in natural experiments can’t be randomly allocated so sample bias may be an issue as other extraneous variables that change with the pre-set IV group differences may confound the results so it wasn’t maternal deprivation.

Question 9

Strength (M)

Answer 9

Uses lots of evidence to back up theory.
Include Goldfarb’s study of children orphaned during WW2 and 44 thieves.
Ideas not just from one study but patterns seen in multiple giving more credibility.
However… both have methodological problems as Rutter argues it was studying privation not deprivation as multiple children where in hospital for start of life in Bowlby’s and during war parents would have been too stressed to give proper care so never formed attachment. All other studies may also have these issues.