Maternal deprivation

• Define maternal deprivation

  Refers to frequent temporary separation from the mother, disputing this relationship

  Results in serious and permanent damage to a child's emotional, social and intellectual development
• What are the effects of maternal deprivation?

  Low IQ

  Delinquency

  Inability to form attachments in the future

  Affectionless psychopathy
• Define affectionless psychopathy

  -Cannot exhibit caring behaviour, concern or affection for others

  -No empathy for others

  -No/very little remorse, guilt and shame for their bad deeds
• Describe the 44 thieves study procedure

  Bowlby (1944)

  • Opportunity sample of 88 children
  • 44 were juvenile thieves
  • Other 44 acted as 'controls'
  • Each had their IQ tested
  • Social worker interviewed parents
  • Bowlby conducted initial interview with the child
• Describe the results of the 44 thieves study

  Bowlby

  • 14/44 thieves showed affectionless psychopathy
  • 12 out of that 14 experienced frequent periods of maternal separation <5 years (hospital, foster homes)
  • 5 out of the remaining 30 experienced separation

  Bowlby concluded maternal depravation in early life can cause permanent damage to emotional development
• What was the focus of Rutter's research in 2011?

  The effects of institutionalisation on Romanian orphans
• How many Romanian orphans were adopted in Rutter's study?

  165 Romanian orphans
• At what ages was the physical, cognitive, and emotional development of the orphans assessed?

  At ages 4, 6, 11, and 15 years old
• What was the size of the control group in Rutter's study?

  52 British children
• What initial conditions did the Romanian orphans exhibit?

  They were undernourished, underweight, and showed signs of mental retardation
• What were the IQ differences observed in the Romanian orphans based on the age of adoption?

  Adopted before 6 months = 102 IQ, between 6 months and 2 years = 86 IQ, after 2 years = 77 IQ
• What attachment disorders were observed in the Romanian orphans adopted after 6 months?

  • 'Disinhibited attachment' type
  • Characterized by clinginess and attention-seeking behavior
• Describe Chugani's research into the effects of institutionalisation

  Chugani (2001)

  • Administered PET scans to 10 adopted Romanian orphans
  • Compared to 17 normal adults and 7 children
  • Showed mild neurocognitive impairment, impulsivity, attention and social deficits
  • Showed decreased acitvity in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala

  The stress of early deprivation causes dysfunction and could be linked to long term cognitive and behavioral problems
• What are the negative physical effects of institutionalisation?

  Malnourished

  Growth, height and weight issues

  Decreased brain activity in amygdala, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus

  Dwarfism
• What are the negative cognitive effects of institutionalisation?

  Lower IQ

  Poor language development

  Slower learning rate

  Weaker school performance

  Attention and social deficits
• What are the negative emotional effects of institutionalisation?

  Disinhibited attachment

  Poor parenting

  Impact on temperament

  Less likely to attach