bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation

• P: when discussing deprivation, people assume that it is physical separation that is the cause, but it may also be related to emotional separation

  E: a mother who is depressed may be physically present, yet unable to provide suitable emotional care, thus depriving her children of that care.

  L: this shows that emotional separation can also lead to deprivation
• P: one way to consider the effects of maternal deprivation is in terms of vulnerability

  E: experiencing early maternal deprivation doesnt always result in negative outcomes, but it does appear to create an increased likelihood that this will happen. this was shown in a study by Antonia of women who had experienced separation from their mothers either because of maternal death or temporary separation of more than a year. Antonia found that 25% later had depression or anxiety compared with 15% who had no experience of separation
• link for long-term effects

  L: this supports bowlby's notion of a critical period, suggesting that early childhood deprivation can lead to later vulnerability for depression and anxiety disorder
• P: bowlby's study and theory had an enormous, positive impact on post-war thinking about childrearing and also on how children were looked after in hospitals.

  E: before bowlby's research children were separated from parents when they spent time in hospital. visiting was discouraged or even forbidden. one of bowlby's colleagues, robertson filmed a 2 year old girl called laura during 8 day period she was in hospital. she is seen to be frequently distressed and begs to go home
• link for real world application

  L: bowlby and robertson's work led to a major social change in the way that children were cared for in hospital