Maternal Deprivation

• Outline what is meant by maternal deprivation

  • the prolonged loss of emotional care from the mother figure, can have serious long term consequences (loved then lost)
  • attachment is formed but then broken later in life
• Outline what is meant by privation?

  when no attachment is formed
• What are the 3 C's to maternal deprivation?

  1. continuity - continuous relationship
  2. critical period - before 2.5 years
  3. consequences - difficulty forming relationships with other people
• What behaviours are typical of children who have been separated (P Diddy)?

  • Protest - crying, screaming when parent leaves
  • Despair - appears more calm but still upset
  • Detachment - after time will start to interact with others but reject caregiver + show strong signs of anger
• What consequences are there to maternal deprivation?

  • inability to form attachments in the future
  • affectionless psychopathy (inability to feel remorse)
  • Delinquency
  • problems with cognitive development (e.g. lower IQ)
• What is the AO3 for Maternal Deprivation?

  :) Applications - led to social change in the way that children were cared for in hospital (increased the visiting hours for hospitalised kids)

  :( Too simplistic - Rutter (1981) argued for the difference to be made of deprivation and privation, suggesting that the latter would have more serious consequences

  :( Research evidence - Barrett (1997) found that the effects of maternal deprivation are not experienced in the same way + do not have a uniform affect on children (individual differences)

  :) Research evidence - Bifulco et al. (1992) found that 25% of women who had experienced maternal deprivation later experienced depression or anxiety (compared to 15% in control group)
• What was the aim of Bowlby's 44 thieves study?

  to examine the maternal deprivation hypothesis and see if early childhood separations were associated with behavioural disorders
• What was the method of Bowlby's 44 thieves study?

  • 88 children, from ages 5-16 who were referred to a guidance clinic took part
  • 44 children were thieves, the other had not committed crimes (control)
  • Bowlby interviewed the children and their families to create a record of early life experiences
• What were the findings from Bowlby's 44 thieves study?

  • 17 of adolescent thieves had experiences separations from mother before the age of 2
  • 2 of control group had experiences separations from mother before the age of 2
  • 13 of adolescent thieves diagnosed as affectionless psychopaths
  • none of the control group were diagnosed as affectionless psychopaths
• What conclusions can be made from Bowlby's 44 thieves study?

  • there is a link between early separations and later social maladjustment
  • maternal deprivation appears to lead to affectionless psychopathy and antisocial behaviour