The impact of failure to develop attachments

• Bowlby suggested that if children do not form secure attachments, they may have difficulties forming close relationships as adults.
• Bowlby believed that the quality of early relationships with parents has an effect on later adult relationships
• Bowlby work with delinquent children lead him to explore the result of a parent having disorganized type of attachment and how it often resulted in disruptive children who are more aggressive and typically lower math skill and poor self- esteem. Higher levels of psychopathy at 17, weaker cognitive skills and self regulation. And were at higher risk of psychotic disorders in the future eg dissociation
• Bowlby (1944) research on 44 juville theirves who had been refered to a child guidence clinic he worked at. Given tests on intelligence, emotional attitudes towards the test and psychatric hisorty

  results- several displayed "affectionless psychopathy".
• what is "affectionless psychopathy". ?

  people who showed a lacked empathy for their vicetems
• Bowlby research showed that children seperated from their mothers for the first 2 years were much more likely to show affetionless psychopathy .
• Bowlby suggested a critical period when attachments need to be formed or it would be to late to prevent later issues. ( 0-2yrs)
• there is research into boding after the critical period, Hodges and Tizard (1989) - longditudinal study on children's homes before age 6 months, and were either adopted or went home to bio mother at the age of 4. Attachments were still made however were more impactful in the adoptive parents as they put in the added effort. showing that attachment can happen outside of the critical period. However there was still some behavioural effects such as age 15 finding hard to make friends, increase chance of being a bully
• deprivation is where a bond had been formed but broken due to seperation
• privation is where no bond had formed eg no distress when carer leaves
• Rutter ( 1981) looked at the effect of privation on attachments.

  • attention seeking
  • indiscriminate ( overly) friendly
  • inability to follow rules
  • inability to form lasting relationship
  • inability to feel guilt
  • antisocial behaviour
  • affectionless psychopathy
  • language/ intellectual disorders
  • physical growth
• negative effects of deprivation - low acedemics and socio-enviromental achievements
• Bowlby and Robsertson short term effect of breaking attachment bond ( between 1948 and 1952) 17 months-3 year olds were in hospital during 2 week periods mother wan not allowed to visit to avoid upseting them during this robertson Identifed 3 stages of behaviour for seperation
• Robertsons stages of behaviour when a child is spereated from their carer

  1. distress - crying, protesting and becomes angry
  2. dispear- once child realsied their carer isn't coming backthey get quite, dont interact with others
  3. detachment - shown when reunited with carer, will ignore carer and try to get away while crying and upset