Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation

• Bowlby proposed that prolonged emotional deprivation would have long term consequences in emotional development.

  value of maternal care = children need a 'warm and continuous relationship' with a mother figure to ensure to maintain a normal mental health.

  critical period: before 2 1/2 years
• 44 juvenile thieves study - Bowlby procedure:

  • Sample: 44 participants, consisting of teenage criminals accused of stealing
  • Participants were interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy
  • Researchers also interviewed the participant's families to see if there was prolonged early separation from their mother figure
  • There was a control group of 44 non-criminal teenagers who had emotional problems
• • findings: 14 of the thieves could be described as affectionless psychopaths
  • 12 of the 14 had been affected by prolonged separation from their mothers in the first two years of their lives
  • Only 2 in the non-criminal group were subjected to prolonged separation
  • None of the control group were diagnosed as affectionless psychopaths
• • Researcher bias, Bowlby himself carried out the interviews and research, which means he already knew what he was looking for from which teenagers 
• • emotional separation more important than physical separation. Radke-Yarrow - 55% depressed mother/ child insecurely attached
• • real world application, Bowlby & Robertson - research into filming the distress of young children in hospital, parents encouraged to visit more and introduce greater flexibility into visiting hours.
• • Rutter (1981) drew a distinct difference between them and pointed out that the severe damage Bowlby suggests happens with deprivation, is actually more likely due to privation
  • Deprivation: The loss of the primary attachment figure after the attachment has been developed 
  • Privation: The failure to form any form of attachment in the first place