Maternal Deprivation Theory

• Theory of Maternal Deprivation

  Bowlby claims that continual presence of care from a mother, or a mother-figure, is essential for normal psychological development of babies and toddlers ('as essential as vitamins and proteins for physical health')- being separated from a mother in early childhood has serious consequences (maternal deprivation).
• Separation versus Deprivation

  Separation means that the child isn't in the presence of a PAF- though this only becomes a problem if the child becomes deprived of emotional care (which could still occur if the mother is present, but depressed). Brief separations, particularly when the child is with a substitute caregiver who can provide emotional care aren't significant for development. But extended separations can lead to deprivation- which by definition causes harm due to a lack of continual care.
• The Critical Period

  Bowlby saw the first 30 months of life as a critical period for psychological development, if a child is separated from their mother in the absence of a suitable substitute caregiver who could provide emotional care- the deprivation of this emotional care for an extended period during this critical period then makes the psychological damage inevitable. He also claims that there is a continuing risk up to the age of 5.
• Effects on Development: Intellectual

  If children were deprived of maternal care for too long during the critical period, they would experience delayed intellectual development- a low IQ. Demonstrated in a study by Goldfarb, who found a lower IQ in children who had remained in institutions as opposed to those fostered with a higher standard of emotional care.
• Effects on Development: Emotional

  Affectionless Psychopathy- the inability to experience guilt or any other strong emote for others; this then prevents normal social interactions, and is associated with criminality . Affectionless psychopaths cannot appreciate the feelings of their victims, so lack remorse for their actions.
• Bowlby's 44 Thieves Research: Procedure

  A sample of 44 criminal teenagers accused of stealing, they were all interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy (a lack of affection, guilt about their actions, and empathy for their victims). Their families were also interviewed to establish if the thieves had prolonged separations from their mother. The sample was compared to a control group of 44 non-criminal, but emotionally disturbed young people.
• Bowlby's 44 Thieves Research: Findings

  Found that 14 out of 44 thieves were affectionless psychopaths; and 12 of the 14 had experienced prolonged separation in their first 2 years. Only 5 of the remaining thieves had experiences this prolonged separation. In the control group, 2 of the 44 had experienced long separations. Bowlby concluded that prolonged early separation/deprivation caused affectionless psychopathy.
• AO3- Flawed Evidence

  Bowlby himself carried out both interviews with family and the assessments for affectionless psychopathy. This left him open to bias, he knew in advance which teenagers he expected to show signs of psychopathy.
• AO3- Flawed Evidence

  Goldfarb's research on the development of deprived children in wartime orphanages had issues with confounding variables; the children in the study had experienced early trauma and institutional care- as well as prolonged separation from their PAF.
• AO3- Counterpoint to Flawed Evidence

  A new line of research has provided modest support for the idea that maternal deprivation has long-term effects. Levy et al showed that separating baby rats from their mothers for as little as a day had a permanent effect on their social development- though not on other aspects of development.
• AO3- Deprivation and Privation

  Rutter drew an important distinction between 2 types of early negative experiences. Deprivation- the loss of a PAF after attachment has developed; and Privation- the failure to form any attachments in the first place, often when children are brought up in institutional care. Claiming that the severe long-term damage is more likely due to privation- Goldfarb's p's were actually prived, similarly many thieves had disrupted early lives (e.g. time in hospitals). Bowlby may have overestimated the effects of deprivation in child's development.
• AO3- Critical versus Sensitive Period

  For Bowlby, damage was inevitable if a child hadn't formed an attachment within the first 30 months; however, there is a case where good quality aftercare can prevent the damage. Koluchova uses the example of the Czech Twins who experienced severe physical and emotional abuse from 18 months to 7 years old. Although they were severely damaged emotionally, they received excellent care and by their teens that had recovered fully. Meaning the lasting effects are not inevitable.
• AO3- Conflicting Evidence

  Lewis looked at 500 young people and found no association between early separation and later psychopathy (criminality or relationship difficulties). Critiquing Bowlby's theory, suggesting that other factors may affect the outcome of early maternal deprivation.