Bowblys theory of Maternal deprivation

• Deprivation is the removal of something longterm e.g. attachment figure removed from child
• PDD Model

  • Protest - Crying, angry
  • Despair - Calm, No longer sad
  • Detachment- Caregive ignored
• Robertson and Robertson

  • Showed separation caused effects at which mothers were substituted by someone else
• Intellectual Development: Children who lacked maternal cared in the critical region, had Lower IQ
• Emotional Development: Children lacking maternal care, had emotional issues. E.g. affectionless psychopathy
• Bowbly 44 Thieves study:

  • Aim: effects of maternal deprivation on child thieves
  • Each child has an IQ test
  • 44 controls and 44 thieves
  • The parents were interviewed on early life.
  • More than half of thieves were separated in 1st 5 years.
• Maternal deprivation caused affectionless psychopathy
• Evaluate Bowbly 44 thieves

  • Clinical interviews
  • Retrospective interference
  • Experimental bias
• Privation describes the lack of something.
• Causation when something causes something else.
• Correlation nothing causes the other.
• Evaluate Bowlby 44

  • Rutter - Correlation doesn't equal causation.
  • Just because a child doesn't create an attachment doesn't mean they are deprivated
• Genie a girl that was severely deprived and neglected by her parents, was unable to speak propley.
• Evaluate Bowlby 44 thieves:

  • pro: real life application - better thinking on child rearing
  • Pro: Bifulco- 250 children who lost mothers, doubled risk of depression and it was higher if under age 6
• Con of 44 thieves:

  • Lewis replicated the 44 thieves study with 500 girls and boys and found no link between affenctionless psychopathy and Low IQ and seperation
  • Koluchoua- Found identical twins who were locked in cell were fostered by loving sisters and they had above IQ
• Koluchoua- Found identical twins who were locked in cell were fostered by loving sisters and they had above IQ

  • Effects of Privation can be reversible
• Bowlby's theory states that disruption to the attachment bond can cause damage to the child’s development and that there are three types: short-term separation, long-term deprivation and privation.
• Barrett (1997) has emphasised the role of individual differences. Barrett argues that infants who are securely attached and more mature may well cope better with separation.
• Critic Long term deprivation effects: Hetherington and Stanley-Hagen (1999) They argue that in some cases, divorce leads to a more positive environment and stronger bonds between children and parents.
• Privation is a situation where no attachment bond ever has the opportunity to form.
• Skeels and Dye (1939) - Children in Orphanages & IQ Scores

  • Importance of emotional care on intellectual development
  • Field Experiment
  • One group of orphans raised in instituion with busy staff
  • Other orphans raised in instituion of women with mental disabilities but gave them lots of love and attention
  • IQ of orphans with disabled women increased
  • con: ethics
• Koluchova - Twin boys deprived

  • Twin boys who lost their mother after birth
  • Were sent to live with their cruel stepmum who beat them
  • At age 7, they could not speak and were stunned in growth
  • The adopted by two loving women
  • The twins developed positively, went to college and got married.
  • CONCLUSION: Deprivation can be overcome with patience and dedication