Bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation

• Separation versus deprivation: (Bowlby)

  • separation - the child not being in presence of the primary attachment figure
  • brief separations are not significant
  • extended separations can lead to deprivation: causes harm
• The critical period: (Bowlby)

  • first two-and-a-half years of life are critical period for psychological development
  • if a child is separated from mother and deprived of any other emotional care for extended duration during critical period, psychological damage inevitable.
  • May be continuing risk up to age 5
• Maternal deprivation effects : Bowlby

  Intellectual development - If children were deprived of maternal care for so long they experience delayed intellectual development (low iq).
• Maternal deprivation effects : Bowlby

  Intellectual development - Goldfarb:

  • found lower IQ in children who had remained in institutions as opposed to those who were fostered who had higher standard of emotional care
• Maternal deprivation effects : Bowlby

  Emotional development - Affectionless psychopathy is the inability to experience guilt or strong emotion towards others. Prevents person from developing fulfilling relationships and is associated with criminality. Cannot feel remorse.
• Bowlby's 44 theives study - Procedure

  • 44 criminal teenager accused of stealing
  • interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy
  • lack of guilt, lack of empathy, lack of affection
  • family's interviewed to see if theives had early separation from mother
  • compared to 44 non-criminal emotional disturbed young people = control group
• Bowlby's 44 theives study - Findings

  • 14 of 44 described as affectionless psychopaths
  • 12 had experienced prolonged separated from mother in critical period
  • 5 of the non-affectionless psychopath had experienced separations
  • 2 of the control group had experienced separations
• Bowlby's 44 theives study - Conclusion

  prolonged early separation/deprivation caused affectionless psychopathy
• AO3 maternal deprivation - flawed evidence

  Bowlby carried out interviews and the assessments for affectionless pychopathy. Open to researcher bias as he knew which teens showed signs of psychopathy.

  Goldfarb had confounding variables. Children experienced early trauma and institutional care not just prolonged separation.

  • Evidence cannot be taken seriously. Lacks reliability.
• AO3 maternal deprivation - confusion between different types of early experience

  Rutter - important distinction between the two types.

  Deprivation is the loss of the primary attachment figure once attachment has taken place.

  Privation is the failure to form any attachment.

  Severe long-term damage Bowlby associates with deprivation is more likely due to privation. E.g Goldfarb instionalised children have no attachment

  • bowlby overstimated seriousness of effects of deprivation
• AO3 maternal deprivation - critical period

  Kolivhova - Czech twins:

  twins experienced severe physical and emotional abuse from age of 18 months until 7 years old. Severely damaged emotionally but they received excellent after care and by teens recovered fully.

  • lasting harm is not inevitable. Critical period should be seen as sensitive period