Maternal Deprivation

• Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation is that deprivation occurs when an attachment is formed but is then broken, similar to Bowlby’s critical period.
• “An infant requires a warm, intimate and continuous relationship with their mother or a substitute before two and a half years otherwise they will have difficulties forming relationships with other people and be at risk of behavioural and emotional disorders .“
• Ongoing maternal deprivation has lasting negative effects on a child in terms of their development, possibly leading to mental health problems or maladjustment. There is a risk of consequence for up until five years old
• Bowlby wanted to see if separation from the primary care giver was associated with emotional disorders.
• Affectionless psychopathy - no sense of guilt
• Children ages 5 - 16 referred to a guidance clinic Bowlby worked at were examined. 44 of which were guilty of theft, and another 44 were used as a control group. Bowlby interviewed the children and their families, creating a record of their early life.
• Bowlby found that 14 of the 44 thieves were affectionless psychopaths. 12 out of the 14 had experienced prolonged deprivation. only 17 % of the other thieves had experienced prolonged deprivation and 4 % of the control group.
• Bowlby concluded that there is a link between early separations and later social maladjustment. Maternal deprivation can lead to affectionless psychopathy and behaviour.
• AO3. Bowlby’s research on maternal deprivation had a significant impact on institutions where infants experience prolonged separation from caregivers. Historically, visiting children in hospital was not at all permitted. The Robertson’s observed a child that was hospitalised for eight days. She struggled to cope with deprivation, demonstrating distress. Key changes have occurred due to the insight into how to provide quality emotional care in the absence of parents.
• AO3. There is evidence against Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory. Lewis replicated the juvenile thieves study with a larger sample and did not find that maternal deprivation leads to a greater likelihood of criminal behaviour. This casts doubt on Bowlby’s theory.
• AO3. Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation suggests that children deprived of attachment will suffer long term consequences, however this ignores both individual differences and free will as it suggests that humans are defined by their childhood and cannot made choices or differences.
• AO3. Bowlby is criticised for not differentiating deprivation and privation. Privation is not being able to form an attachment at all where as deprivation is being away from an attachment figure. Rutter suggests that privation leads to more damaging consequences rather than having a broken attachment, and disapproves of Bowlby using the words interchangeably