Disrupted attachment - Bowlby's MDH

• What did Bowlby produce after reviewing the mental health of homeless children in post-war Europe?

  The maternal deprivation hypothesis.
• What is the maternal deprivation hypothesis?

  The MDH states that infants who are deprived of their mother during the critical period (0-30 months) experience harmful effects on social-emotional, intellectual and physical development.
• What are the effects of deprivation of the mother on social-emotional, intellectual and physical aspects of infants?

  • Social-emotional = depression (DP), delinquency (DL), affectionless psychopathy (AP)
  • Intellectual = reduced IQ
  • Physical = Developmental dwarfism
• Who's study supported the MDH?

  Goldfarb.
• What did Goldfarb do?

  Compared 2 groups of infants in an orphanage. One group of 15 stayed in orphanage for only a few months, then fostered. Other group remained in orphanage until 2-3 years old. At age 12, children in 2 groups tested for IQ. Scores for orphanage group significantly lower than for the fostered group. Also, social & emotional problems observed more often in orphanage group.
• What is affectionless psychopathy?

  Affectionless psychopathy is characterised by a disregard for feelings of others - e.g. not experiencing guilt or remorse for actions that harm/upset others. Prevents development of normal social relationships.
• What was the aim of Bowlby's '44 thieves' study?

  To test maternal deprivation hypothesis, in particular early deprivation and affectionless psychopathy.
• How did Bowlby carry out the '44 thieves' study?

  He interviewed boys and their families, aged 15-16, who attended a clinic where he worked. He compared the backgrounds of 44 juvenile thieves with 44 non-delinquent children.
• What were the findings of Bowlby's '44 thieves' study?

  • 17 / 44 thieves diagnosed by Bowlby as having affectionless psychopathy
  • 15 / 17 of these had had experienced separation for at least one week before the age of 5
  • Only 4% of control group had experienced early separations, and none of them were diagnosed with affectionless psychopathy
• What conclusions did Bowlby have after the '44 thieves' study?

  Separations in early life lead to long term ill effects, particularly adversely affecting emotional development. Bowlby concluded there was a link between maternal deprivation and affectionless psychopathy.
• What was the positive of the '44 thieves' study?

  He used a control group so he could rule out extraneous variables and know for certain his results are at least for the majority due to maternal deprivation.
• What are the negative evaluation points of the '44 thieves' study?

  • Didn't distinguish deprivation from separation i.e. a week probably wouldn't lead to maternal deprivation
  • Gender-biased (only boys)
  • Retrospective - memories of early life may be inaccurate
  • Small sample - lacked representativeness & therefore generalisability
  • Correlational - can't prove cause and effect
  • 2 children in delinquent found to be affectionless but had not experienced separation. Suggests other explanations.
  • Other researchers have tried and failed to replicate his findings