Bowlby's Maternal Deprivation Theory

• Define maternal deprivation

  The lack of adequate nurturing due to the absence or premature loss of, or neglect by, its mother or primary caregiver (mother substitute)
• What are the three strands of the maternal deprivation theory?

  The value of maternal care, the critical period, long-term consequences
• Explain the value of maternal care strand of Bowlby's theory

  Children need a 'warm, intimate and continuous relationship' with a mother (or permanent mother substitute) to ensure continuing normal mental health.
• Explain the critical period strand of Bowlby's theory

  If a child experiences separation/deprivation in the critical period of up to 2 1/2 years, they may become emotionally disturbed. He believed this was a risk up until the age of five and argued this disruption is irreversible.
• Explain the long-term consequences strand of Bowlby's theory

  Bowlby believed maternal deprivation during this critical period had long-term consequences such as a low IQ, emotional problems (e.g depression), juvenile delinquency and affectionless psychopathy.
• How did Bowlby study the effects of maternal deprivation?

  In his 1944 study "'44 Thieves", he interviewed 44 'juvenile delinquents' from the ages of 5 to 16. He identified a sub-group within these 44 thieves who he described as affectionless psychopaths. He also used a control group of 44 children who were not thieves but who had emotional problems.
• What did Bowlby find in his '44 Thieves study?

  86% of the affectionless psychopaths had experienced extended separations from their mother during the critical period compared to 17% of the other thieves and 4% of the control participants.
• What did Bowlby conclude in his '44 thieves study?

  There is a link between early separations (maternal deprivation) and affectionless psychopathy.
• Give a strength of the maternal deprivation theory

  Supported by Bowlby's own research
• Give three limitations of the maternal deprivation theory

  Researcher bias, retrospective data, correlational conclusions