Maternal deprivation and institutionalisation

• Bowlby said that a loss of an existing attachment called "maternal deprivation" could result in serious and long-lasting problems
• Bowlby said that maternal deprivation could lead to affectionless psychopathy
• According to Bowlby brief separations do not have any long-lasting effects
• Deprivation only occurs if the child is separated from the person that they have made a primary attachment with for an extended period of time in the absence of substitute emotional care
• Bowlby says that prolonged separation causes serious damage to a child's emotional and intellectual development
• What was Bowlby' study on the effects of prolonged separation on emotional development?

  The 44 juvenile thieves in 1944
• What did Bowlby aim to find in his 44 thieves study?


  The effects of prolonged separation on emotional development
• Bowlby's aim of 44 thieves was to investigate the long-term effects of maternal deprivation
• Bowlby's procedure in 44 thieves:

  1. Selected an opportunity sample of 88 children attending his clinic
  2. Separate them into 2 groups
  3. Group 1 - thief group (44 teenagers referred to him because of their stealing)
  4. Group 2 - control group (44 teenagers referred to him because of emotional issues)
  5. 2 groups matched for their IQ
  6. Children and parents interviewed and tested by a psychiatrist, psychologist and social worker focusing on early life experiences
• Bowlby's findings in 44 thieves:

  Thief group - 14 children were identified as affectionless psychopaths, 12 of which had experienced prolonged separation for more than 6 months from their mothers in their first 2 years of life
• Bowlby's findings in 44 thieves:

  Thief group - 5 thieves not classified as affectionless psychopaths although they had experienced separations
• Bowlby's findings in 44 thieves:

  Out of the 44 children in the control group only 2 had experienced prolonged separations and none of them were affectionless psychopaths
• Affectionless psychopathy is a lack of normal affection, shame or sense of responsibility
• What was Goldfarbs aim in 1955?


  To investigate the effects of prolonged separation on intellectual development
• Goldfarb studied 15 children orphaned during WW2 who had been raised in an institution for the first 3 years of their lives then were placed into foster care
• Goldfarb compared the orphaned children to a group of children who had been in foster care since early infancy
• What did Goldfarb find when he compared the institution group and the foster care group?

  Even in adolescence the institution group displayed more problem behaviours, were socially less mature and had issues making and sustaining relationships.
• Goldfarb concluded that early institutionalisation resulted in developmental deficits that were not overcome once children were placed in more stimulating and loving environments
• Does Goldfarb's study support Maternal deprivation hypothesis?

  Yes
• One limitation of the 44 thieves study if that it lacks validity.

  Interviews with parents and kids

  Therefore, limitation as parents and kids will have demand characteristics and there will be a lack of truth
• One limitation of the maternal deprivation hypothesis is that research evidence disagrees with Bowlby's theory so it lacks validity.

  Koluchova and Czech twins the damage was reversed

  Therefore, limitation as lasting harm isn't inevitable, sensitive period
• Limitation of MDH is 44 thieves, interviewer bias and co-founding variables

  Expected psychopathy

  Therefore, limitation as not taken seriously as evidence nowadays
• Limitation of MDH is that maternal deprivation has confusion between different early experiences

  Rutter privation and deprivation, 44 thieves are prived

  Therefore, limitation as Bowlby overestimated seriousness of effects on child's development
• Strength of MDH is research evidence supports effects on development

  Goldfarb effects on IQ

  Therefore, valid as findings support Bowlby's hypothesis
• In Romania, the government had a regime aimed to increase the population by not allowing abortion or contraception. Many families couldn't afford to look after their children so they were placed in orphanages where there was very little physical or emotional care and no cognitive stimulation
• Privation occurs when children have never formed an attachment
• Privation is more likely to occur in institutions if there is poor emotional care although it can happen outside institutions where there is severe neglect
• What were Rutter and Barkes ERA (Romanian adoptee) study procedures?


  165 Romanian children selected (who previously lived in institutions) and of these 111 adopted before the age of 2 and 54 adopted before the age of 4

  Compared to a control group of 52 British children adopted by age of 6 months

  Children tested regularly for physical, intellectual, emotional and social development at ages 4,6,11,15 and 22-25 years old
• What does P in PIES stand for?

  Physical
• What does I in PIES stand for?

  Intellectual
• What does E in PIES stand for?

  Emotional
• What does S in PIES stand for?

  Social
• What were the findings of Rutter and Barkes ERA study?


  when the adoptees arrived in the uk, half of them were showing signs of delayed intellectual development and were malnourished
• What were the findings of Rutter and Barkes ERA study?

  At 11, adopted children showed different rates of recovery
• What were the findings of Rutter and Barkes ERA study?

  Children adopted later casues lower IQ
• What were the findings of Rutter and Barkes ERA study?

  Mean IQ of adoptees getting adopted before 6 months - 102

  Adopted after 2 years - 77
• What were the findings of Rutter and Barkes ERA study?

  ADHD more common in 15 and 22-25 year olds
• What were the findings of Rutter and Barkes ERA study?

  There appeared to be a difference in outcomes in terms of attachment if adoption took place before or after 6 months, children adopted after 6 months showed signs of disinhibited attachment
• What were the conclusions of Rutter and Barkes ERA study?

  age plays a part in how much the adoptees recovered

  pre 6 months = better and effect reversible

  post 6 months = disinhibited attachment and higher rates of intellectual disability, lower IQ
• Strength of rutters study is application to improve conditions for growing up outside family homes, real world application

  Children now have one/two key workers who play a role in their emotional care and more effort is made for children to be adopted.

  Therefore, strength as children in institutional care home have a chance to develop normal attachments and disinhibited attachment is avoided