Maternal deprivation

• What is it ?

  • continual prescience of nurture from a mother or mother substitute is essentjal for normal psychological development
  • disruption of attachment during the critical period (30 months) can lead to serious and permanent damage to emotional + intellectual development
• When did he believe separation became a problem ?

  • whena child becomes deprived as they lose an elememt of care
• What was said about intellectual development ?

  • id children deprived of maternal care for too long in critical period then they would suffer mental retardation characterised by low IQ
  • demonstrated in studies of adoption e.g goldfarb
• What did Goldfarb find ?

  • lower IQ in those who had remained in instititions opposed to those who were fostered and had a higher standard of emotional care
• What did bowling find about emotional development ?

  • emotional care effects emotional development
  • bowlby ifentified affection less psychopathy as the inability to show show guilt or empathy towards others
  • prevents someone developing normal relationships + associates with criminality
  • can’t appreciate the feelings of victims so lack remorse for their actions.
• What was bowls 44 thrive study ?

  • wanted to test a link between affection less psychopathy and maternal deprivation
• Method :


  -44 teenagers who have stole

  • all interviewed for signs of affectionate psychopaghy characterise by lack or guilt, empathy and affection for victims
  • families also interviewed to identify and prolonged separation in 1st 2 years
  • control group or criminals but emotionally disturbed
• Findings ?

  • 14/44 affectionate psychopaths
  • 12/14 has prolonged separation in 1st 2 years of life
  • 5/30 left has pronged separation
  • control group 2/44 has prolonged separation
  • found a link
• Evaluation ?

  1. 44 theive study
  2. animal study - Harlow
  3. goldfarb