bowlby's theory of maternal deprivation

• maternal deprivation:

  • emotional + intellectual consequences of separation
  • continuous mother care is essential for psychological development
  • prolonged separation causes serious damage to childs intellectual and emotional development
• separation:

  • infant not being in presence of primary attachment figure
• deprivation:

  • loss of emotional care (even if mother is present) -brief separation is normal + doesnt harm infant
  • usually with substitute caregiver who provides emotional care
  • when separation becomes extended + child doesnt receive care it turns into deprivation
• intellectual development:

  • bowlby believed maternal deprivation during critical period would result in delayed intellectual development - low IQ
• goldfarb:

  • 30 orphans, 1/2 fostered by 4 months, 1/2 in institution
  • institutionalised children had lower IQ than fostered
  • age 12 IQ scores assessed - fostered = 98, institution = 68 - below the cut off point used to define intellectual disability
• emotional development:

  • Bowlby - maternal deprivation can result in affectionless psychopathy - inability to experience guilt/strong emotions
  • prevents individuals from forming normal relationships + associated with criminality
  • characterised by lack of affection, guilt/remorse + lack of empathy for others
• 44 thieves study:

  • 44 criminal teenagers accused of stealing - interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy
  • families interviewed - establish whether they have prolonged early separations from mothers
  • control group = non criminal but emotionally disturbed young people - see how maternal deprivation occurred in people who lacked criminality
• 44 thieves findings:

  • 14/44 = affectionless psychopaths
  • 12/14 (86%) = experienced separation in first 2 years
  • 5 (17%) of remaining 30 = experienced separations
  • 2 (4%) of 44 (control group) - experienced separations
• 44 thieves conclusion:

  • prolonged early separation/ deprivation caused affectionless psychopathy
• EVALUATION: flawed evidence

  • Bowlby - carried out family interviews + assessments for AP - open to bias, knows what teenagers would show signs of psychopathy
  • Goldfarb's research - CVs, children experienced trauma, institutional care, separation
  • original sources of evidence for maternal deprivation have serious flaws, not accepted as appropriate evidence now
• EVALUATION: limited explanation

  • Rutter -2 types of negative early experiences (deprivation + privation) - deprivation = loss of caregiver after attachment, privation = failure to form attachment
  • orphans + thieves may have been prived instead of deprived
  • long term damage associated with deprivation is actually result of privation
• EVALUATION: critical vs sensitive periods:

  • bowlby used critical period, believed separation affected development within 2 1/2 years - damage isnt inevitable if there is good quality after care (Koluchova)
  • twin boys - severe emotional + physical abuse from 18 months to 7, received good after care + by teens fully recovered
  • critical period may be a sensitive period, lasting harm isnt inevitable even in cases of severe privation
• EVALUATION: some research support:

  • levy et al - separating baby rats from mother for as little as day had permanent effect on social development
  • gao et al - partially supported bowlby - poor quality maternal care associated with high rates of psychopathy in adults
  • bowlby relied on flawed evidence, some modern evidence supports his ideas