Bowlby's Maternal Deprivation Theory

• Maternal deprivation-Separation from a primary attachment figure that is prolonged and results in lack of emotional care.
• Critical period-The first two-and-a-half years – deprivation in this time has long-term effects.
• Effects-Intellectual development (low IQ), emotional development (affectionless psychopathy) which includes lack of guilt and/or empathy.
• Bowlby’s 44 thieves study-

  • Procedure: 44 thieves assessed for affectionless psychopathy, early separations established through interviews with parents.
  • Findings: 14 affectionless thieves, of which 12 had prolonged early separations.
• one limitation is rutter criticised the theory saying it may just be a sensitive period not a critical period.
• another limitation is there is more criticisms from Rutter, saying that Bowlby was talking about privation- never having an attachment, rather than deprivation- having an attachment and then losing it.
• Bowlby's work can also be criticised as he personally conducted the teenager AND family interviews. Therefore some could be bias which questions the validity as he already knew if the teenagers had sign of AP and could misinterpret the families sayings