Bowlbys theory of Maternal Deprivation

What is separation

absence of caregiver, causes distress but not permanent bond disruption

What is deprivation

loss of emotional care from attachment figure

What is privation

lack of any attachment due to lack of attachment figure.

What was Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis

bond disruption leads to permanent breaking of attachment bond, causing long term emotional damage

Maternal deprivation causing intellectual development problems

If child is deprived of maternal care for too long after critical period, have low IQ

Maternal deprivation causing emotional development problems

• causes affectionless psychopath

• don’t feel guilt, strong emotions to others, prevents them from developing relationships, more likely to commit crimes

What is critical period

2 and a half years

If child is separated from mum and deprived of her care for along duration during this period then psychological damage is inevitable

Aim of Bowlby’s 44 thieves study

to support maternal deprivation hypothesis

Procedure of 44 thieves study

compared 44 teenage criminals with control group of emotional disturbed young people who weren’t thieves.

Gathered data from personality tests, interviewed families seeing if they had prolonged early separation from mum

Findings of 44 thieves study

1/3 of thieves were affectionless psychopaths

None in control group

86% of affectionless psychopaths experienced early separation

Limitation- Bowlbys confusion between deprivation and privation

Rutter suggests privatisation leads to more damaging effects for child than experiencing broken attachment (deprivation).

• Children in 44 thieves study had disrupted early lives, had trouble forming attachments- so negative effects may be due to probation than deprivation

Rutter disapproved Bowlby’s use of deprivation, thought he was confusing the 2 concepts.

Limitation- critical period isn’t inevitable

Bowly said damage was inevitable after not forming attachment in critical period.

Evidence shows good quality after care prevents this damage.

Czech twins had emotional abuse from 18motnhs - 2 1/2 yrs old. They received good aftercare and fully recovered.

Shows harm isn’t inevitable even in cases of severe privation

Cortical period should be known as sensitive period

Limitation- maternal deprivation based on poor quality evidence

• Bowbly himself conducted 44 thieves study, family interviews- open to bias as he knew which teenagers expected to show affectionless psychopath

• Also his maternal dep theory based on Goldfarbs study on war orphans- has confounding variables as children has lots of trauma, prolonged separation from primary caregiver

• Means Bowblys source of evidence for maternal dep has flaws