Bowlby's Maternal Deprivation Theory

• 1. Critical Period

  • critical period for psychological development was 30 months
  • if a child was deprived of emotional care for an extended period of time during the critical period, psychological damage was inevitable
  • child will suffer irreversible long-term consequences - maternal deprivation hypothesis
• 2. Separation vs Deprivation

  • child has an innate need to attatch to a main attachment figure = monotropy. This monotropic bond should be formed with the mother
  • Mother's attachment is more important than others
  • separation means the child not being in prescence of the primary attachment figure, only becomes a problem for development if the child is deprived of an element of care
  • brief separation isn't significant, but extended separation can lead to deprivation which causes harm
• 3. Consequences of Maternal Deprivation on development

  D.elinquency - petty crimes

  A.ffectionless - psychopathy - abscence of guilt, empathy

  D.eppression - anaclictic - from loss of mothers love

  D.warfism

  I.ntellectual Retardation - low IQ

  E.motionally Disturbed

  Intellectual Development - from deprivation of maternal care during the critical period, this is supported by adoption studies

  Emotional development - a child's deprivation of maternal care could lead to the inability to experience guilt, prevents them developing healthy relationships and is associated with criminality
• Evaluation of Maternal Deprivation theory

  + Evidence - Bowlby interviewed 44 thieves, asked about behaviour and + childhood, he was looking for characteristics like lack of empathy. He also interviewed the family. A control group was used for comparisons.

  Thieves group included 12 'affectionless psychopaths', 12/14 experienced separation from mothers during first 2 years. In the control group, 2 had experienced deprivation from mothers. This suggests that maternal deprivation during the critical period directly affects delinquency
• Evaluation of Maternal Deprivation theory

  + evidence to support link of maternal deprivation and intellectual retardation - Goldfarb followed up 30 orphans. Of this 12/30 have been fostered whilst the others remained in the orphanage. At 12 years they did an IQ test and the children who got fostered scored 96 and the ones who remained in the orphanage socred 68.

  X later research suggests a sensitive period - if we don't form an attachment in first 2 years, it's not detrimental, future attachments can still be formed and a child can still have good outcomes providing they have good care