maternal deprivation

• what is maternal deprivation?

  • prolonged separation
  • not having the following could lead to irreversible consequences:
  • critical period
  • monotropy
  • internal working model
• effects of maternal deprivation?

  • problems with attachment
  • intellectual development
  • emotional development
• critical period?

  • from 0-2 years
  • period where infants first attachment with primary caregiver develops
• monotropy?

  • where infant only has one special attachment
  • this is with mother
• internal working model?

  • first attachment with primary caregiver acts as template for infants to demonstrate how to act in later relationships
• problems with attachment?

  • without iwm no blueprint for future relationships
  • not able to make any future attachments/relationships
• intellectual development?

  • if child deprived of maternal care for too long during c.p will suffer delayed intellectual development
  • characterised by abormally low iq
• emotional development?

  • maternal deprivation during c.p can result in child becoming affectionless psychopath
  • inability to experience guilt/strong emotion for others
  • prevents person developing normal relationships & associated with criminality
  • they cannot appreciate feelings of victims so lack remorse for actions
• the 44 juvenile thieves study?

  • bowlby worked at london child guidance clinic in 1930/40s
  • helped kids with behavioural/emotional difficulties
• aim of the 44 juvenile thieves study?

  • investigate long term effects of maternal deprivation
• method of the 44 juvenile thieves study?

  • selected oppurtunity sample of 88 children attending clinic
  • g1 - thief group 44 teens referred to him due to stealing
  • g2 - control group 44 teens referred to him due to emotional problems
  • 2 groups matched for age & iq
  • children & parents interviewed & tested by bowlby focusing specifically on their early life experiences
• findings of the 44 juvenile thieves study?

  • thief group - 14 were affectionless psychopaths
  • 12 of these had prolonged separation of more than 6 months from mothers in first 2 years of life
  • only 5 of remaining 30 not classified as affectionless psychopaths experienced prolonged separation
  • 2/44 in control had experienced prolonged separation
  • in control none were affectionless psychopaths
• why might bowlbys evidence be poor?

  • experiment was correlational - results only show link between early childhood experiences
  • use of interviews may have led to interviewer bias
  • retrospective - had to recall information from long time ago so details may not be accurate
• the koluchova twins?

  • did not have chance to form attachments prior to age of 7 when they were taken away from abusive family setting
  • put into caring setting once able to socialise with others & made good progress
  • by 11 their speech was normal & by 15 emotional stage had improved & appeared to be within normal range
• what does the koluchova twins case show?

  • shows that even terrible early experiences can be overcome with right kind of care
  • if early experiences were so important then twins would be emotionally disturbed for life/suffer severe affectionless psychopathy but they didn't suggesting its not irreversible
  • can be suggested that being able to form attachments & relationships later in their childhood can overcome no attachment during c.p
  • sensitive period rather than critical
• 3 * of maternal deprivation?

  1. evidence to support by genie
  2. evidence to support from harlows animal study
  3. practical applications
• 2 X of maternal deprivation?

  1. evidence to contradict from lambs study
  2. fails to distinguish between deprivation & privation
• * evidence from genie?

  • she was severely abused until 11
  • was unable to form att to anyone in c.p as was isolated
  • never went onto form att in adult life & had lower than average iq
  • shows if monotropic att not formed in c.p will lead to poor iwm
  • causes intellectual problems & issues with forming att in later life
• * evidence from harlows study?

  • found long lasting effects of his study has implications for monkeys on att behaviour
  • were unable to socialise & form att with other monkeys as they were deprived of comforting mother during c.p
  • shows if we do not form att with pcg we are unable to develop iwm
  • causes problems with att in later life
• X evidence from lamb?

  • found role of father is important just different to mum
  • can also form att with father & infant able to still develop normally with this att
  • ? internal
  • shows without monotropy child can still develop normally
  • questioning its importance in role of forming att
  • suggests when deprived from mum att may still be formed
• * practical application?

  • has helped us in real world
  • hospital policies & procedures changed
  • bowlbys research shows those who dont have mother during c.p can have negative effect on them
  • hospitals changed policy to allow mothers to stay over with children to avoid negative outcomes
  • research into effects of m.d have prevented negative development of children & change policy/procedures in real world
• X fails to distinguish between deprivation & privation?

  • rutter 1976 claimed bowlby has muddled 2 different concepts
  • deprivation - loss of primary att figure after att has been made
  • privation - failure to form att in first place
  • he believes development damage suggested by bowlby is likely to be caused by privation
  • ? internal
  • bowlby may not be measuring deprivation if has not considered differences between the 2
  • questions accuracy of his findings
  • difficult to establish causal relationship between early att & later relationships