Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation

• Maternal Deprivation Theory:

  • The idea that the continual presence of care from a mother or caregiver is essential for normal psychological development for babies and toddlers.
  • Emotionally and intellectually.
  • Separation in early childhood = serious consequences.
• Separation:

  • The child isn’t in the presence of the primary attachment figure e.g the mother passed away.
• Deprivation:

  • When the mother is there but could be depressed. The child isn’t receiving anything from them.
  • E.g getting no love in return. Deprived of emotional care.
• The Critical Period:

  • Bowlby saw the first two and a half years of life as the critical period for psychological development.
  • If a child is separated from their mother in the absence of a suitable substitute care and so deprived of her emotional care for an extended duration during this period Then Bowlby believed that psychological damage was inevitable.
  • Continuing risk up to the age of 5.
• Effects On Development:

  Intellectual development

  • If children were deprived of maternal care for too long during the critical period they would experience delayed intellectual development, characterised by abnormally low IQ.
  • Demonstarted in studies adoption. Goldfarb found lower IQ in children who had remained in institutions as opposed to those who were fostered and thus had a higher standard of emotional care.
• Effects On Development:

  Emotional development

  • Affects children in their emotional development.
  • Bowlby identified affectionless psychopathology as the inability to experience guilt or strong emotion towards others. This prevents a person developing fulfilling relationships and is associated with criminality.
  • Affectionless psychopaths cannot appreciate the feelings of victims and so lack remorse for their actions.