Maternal Deprivation

• What does maternal deprivation mean?

  It is when a bond formed with the mother is broken for a long period of time.
• What are the likely effects of breaking the maternal bond during early childhood?

  It can have serious effects on the child's well-being.
• What is the critical period for maternal deprivation according to Bowlby?

  Before the age of two and a half.
• What types of effects can result from maternal deprivation?

  Intellectual, emotional, and social effects.
• What are the specific effects of maternal deprivation as identified by Bowlby?

  • Internal working model: Trouble forming relationships and parenting.
  • Intellectual: Risk of low IQ and academic struggles.
  • Emotional: Risk of behavioral disorders and trouble with authority.
  • Affectionless psychopathy: Lack of remorse or guilt in behavior.
• What did Bowlby believe about the permanence of the effects of maternal deprivation?

  He believed they would be permanent and irreversible.
• What study did Bowlby base his theory on?

  The 44 thieves study.
• What did Bowlby find in his study of the 44 thieves?

  86% of affectionless psychopaths had experienced early and prolonged separation from their mothers.
• What percentage of the control group experienced early and prolonged separation?

  Only 4%.
• What is required for a child according to Bowlby's theory?

  • A warm, intimate, and continuous relationship with their mother.
• What distinction did Rutter (1976) claim Bowlby failed to make?

  He mixed up deprivation and privation.
• What did Rutter suggest was the cause of problems in Bowlby's juvenile delinquents?

  He believed their problems were due to privation, not deprivation.
• What did Hilda Lewis (1954) find in her study that contradicted Bowlby's findings?

  Prolonged separation from the mother did not predict criminality or relationship difficulties.
• What other factors did Lewis suggest might cause behavioral problems?

  A mother's emotional instability and neglect or rejection tendencies.
• What real-world applications have resulted from Bowlby's maternal deprivation hypothesis?

  • Changed hospital policies to allow parental visits.
  • Created spaces for parents to stay overnight with children.
  • Improved understanding of the importance of emotional care in hospitals.
• How did Bowlby's research impact childrearing practices?

  It led to significant changes in how children were cared for in hospitals.
• What was the emotional condition observed in children from Spitz's study?

  Anaclitic depression.
• What did Bowlby conclude about the relationship between separation and affectionless psychopathy?

  He concluded that separation caused affectionless psychopathy.