evaluation

• evaluate evidence may be poor?

  • Bowlby drew on a number of sources of evidence- children orphaned during WW2, poor quality orphanages and 44 thieves study
  • But, war orphans were traumatised, this could have led to later development difficulties
  • Children growing up in poor orphanages were deprived of many aspects of care, not just maternal care.
  • The 44 thieves study- bowlby himself carried out assessments
• evaluate counter evidence

  • Lewis partially replicated 44 thieves study on a larger scale = 500 young people
  • found that early prolonged seperation from mother did not predict criminality.
  • this is a problem for bowlby theory because it suggests that other factors may affect outcome of early maternal deprivation
• evaluate critical period is more of a sensitive period

  • bowlby- prolonged seperation leads to inevitable damage if it happened in critical period
  • Later research shows damage is not inevitable
  • Koluchova- reported case of twin boys from czechoslovakia who were isolated from 18 months until 7 years old
  • Then looked after by 2 loving adults and recovered fully
  • Period identified by bowlby may be more of a sensitive one