Bowlby's Maternal Deprivation

• Bowlby


  Proposed that continuous care from a mother is essential for psychological development, and prolonged separation causes 'serious damage' to development
• Separation


  An infant not being in the presence of a primary attachment figure
• Deprivation


  A loss of emotional care (prolonged separation)
• Critical Period


  Bowlby suggests this was the first 2 1/2 years of life where a child must have continuous care from mother to avoid damage.
• Effects on Development


  Delayed intellectual development and abnormally low IQ + affectionless psychopathy are results of maternal deprivation according to Bowlby
• 44 thieves : Procedure


  44 teenagers accused of stealing interviewed for affectionless psychopathy, families also interviewed. Control group of non-criminal but emotionally disturbed teenagers
• 44 thieves : Findings


  14 of the 44 teenagers were affectionless psychopaths, to which 12 had experienced prolonged separation from their mother in the critical period. Of the control group only 2 had experienced separations. Shows prolonged early separation caused affectionless psychopathy.
• Bowlby's Maternal deprivation : Strength

  Levy et al found that separating baby rats from their mother for a single day had a permanent effect on their social development.
• Bowlby's Maternal deprivation : Weakness


  Bowlby himself carried out all aspects of the 44 thieves study, meaning there might have been bias as he knew what teenagers he thought would be affectionless psychopaths. Suggests the evidence is flawed and so not valid
• Bowlby's Material deprivation : Weakness


  Rutter distinguished two types of separation, deprivation and privation. Deprivation is the loss of a primary attachment figure, whereas privation is failure to form any attachment at all e.g. orphanages. Suggests long term damage is more likely to be due to privation meaning Bowlby has a limited explanation