Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation

• Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation

  continuous care from a mother is essential for normal psychological development and that prolonged separation causes serious damage to emotional and intellectual development
• separation vs deprivation

  separation is when the child is not in presence of the primary attachment figure and only becomes a problem if the child is deprived of emotional care.

  extended separations can lead to deprivation.
• critical period

  Bowlby saw the first 2 and a half years of life as the critical period for psychological development. With a continuing risk up to the age of 5

  If a child is deprived during the critical period then Bowlby believed psychological damage was inevitable.
• intellectual development

  Bowlby believed maternal deprivation in the critical period would lead to delayed intellectual development.

  This was characterised by abnormally low IQ

  Found in studies of adoption -> found lower IQ in children who remained in institutions compared to those who were fostered.
• emotional development

  Bowlby believed that maternal deprivation could cause affectionless psychopathy.

  -> inability to experience guilt or strong emotions towards others.

  -> prevents a person developing fulfilling relationships and is associated with criminality as they lack remorse
• Bowlby's 44 thieves study - procedure


  examined the link between affectionless psychopathy and maternal deprivation.

  44 criminal teenagers accused of stealing were interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy which was characterised by lack of guilt and empathy.

  families of the thieves were interviewed to see if the thieves had prolonged early separations from their mothers.

  sample compared to a control group of 44 non-criminal but emotionally disturbed young people.
• Bowlby's 44 thieves study - findings

  14/44 thieves were affectionless psychopaths

  12/14 had experienced maternal deprivation in the critical period.

  5/30 remaining thieves had experienced separations.

  2/44 in the control group had separations.

  Bowlby concluded maternal deprivation caused affectionless psychopathy
• limitation - flawed evidence

  Bowlby carried out all interviews and assessments himself which left him open to bias.

  Bowlby was influenced by Goldfarb's study on deprived children in wartime orphanages which had confounding variables as all the children experienced early trauma and institutional care.
• strength - research support

  Levy et al

  conducted research which has some support for long-term effects of maternal deprivation.

  showed separating baby rats from their mother for as little as a day had a permanent effect on their social development - not other types of development though.
• limitation - deprivation and privation

  Bowlby's theory has confusion between different types of early experience.

  Rutter

  drew important distinction between two types of early negative experience.

  deprivation refers to loss of primary attachment figure after attachment has developed where as privation is the failure to form any attachment in the first place.

  Rutter suggested that long-term damage Bowlby associated with deprivation is more likely to be privation. e.g. Goldfarb's study.

  means Bowlby may have overestimated the seriousness of the effects of deprivation in development.
• critical vs sensitive periods

  Bowlby believed that damage was inevitable if attachment wasn't formed int the critical period.

  Evidence suggests that good quality care after the critical period can prevent most or all of this damage.

  Czech Twins - experienced severe abuse from 18 months until 7 years old. They had fully recovered by their teens due to good care.

  Means lasting harm isn't inevitable and therefore critical period is more likely a sensitive period.