bowlby and maternal deprivation

• What was bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation?

  Idea that the continual presence of nurture from a mother is essential for normal psychological development of babies and toddlers
• when does separation become an issue ot development?

  when the child is deprived
• what is deprivation?

  a child lacks essential resources needed for healthy development
• what was the critical period?

  first 30 months of life for psychological development
• what did bowlby beleive happened when a child was separated from their mother and deprived of emotional care for an extended period during the critical period ?

  psychological damage was inevitable
• how was intellectual development altered?

  • delayed intellectual development if deprived during critical period.
  • characterised by abnormally low IQ
  • Goldfarb found lower IQ in children who had remained in institutions as opposed to those who were fostered
• how is emotional development altered?

  • bowlby identified affectionless psychopathy- the inability to experience guilt or strong emotions for others.
  • this prevents the person developing normal relationships and associated with criminality
• what was the procedure to bowlbys 44 thieves study?

  • 44 criminal teenagers accused of stealing
  • interviewed for signs of affection less psychopathy
  • families interviewed to establish whether thieves had prolonged seperation from mothers.
  • control - non-criminal but emotionally disturbed young people
• what were the findings to bolwbys 44 thieves study?

  • 14 / 44 - affectionless psychopaths
  • 12 / 14 - prolonged seperation from mothers in first 2 years
  • control - 2/44 had prolonged seperation
• what was the conclusion to 44 thieves study?

  prolonged early separation caused affectionless psychopathy