Can privation be reversed?

What is privation

• The complete lack of emotional care

• Child never got the chance to form attachment

• Never get attachment, may cause permanent harm to enotional and social development

what privation is (reversible)

Rutter et al

• Found children adopted after 6 months showed disinhibited attachment, lower IQ and emotional difficulties compared to control group who had not been privated before adoption who showed secure attachment development

• If privation time limited to 6 months, negative effects reversible

what privation is (irreversible)

• Genie became attached to Curtis, despite being past critical period

• Still couldn’t develop speech beyond that of a toddler

• Shows disinhibited attachment effect of privation is reversible

• But still couldn’t develop normal things like proper speech, walking showing severe effects of privation

What can privation cause

Long term effects

• lack of language

• Poor motor development

What privation can cause (reversible)

Koluchová Czech twins

• discovered after having spent first 7 years locked up

• Unable to talk

• Fostered by two loving sisters

• Found that privation effects were reversible as formed attachments with the sister, had secure future relationships

What privation can cause (irreversible)

Genie

• couldn’t develop speech beyond that of a toddler

• couldn’t develop normal things like proper speech or walking showing severe effects of privation

• Was not reversible, as an adult had to be put in care home and did not speak anymore