Bowlby's theory of maternal deprevation

Question 1

Bowlby belief about child rearing

Answer 1

In the past, it was assumed that a good standard of food and physical care was central to good child rearing. However, Bowlby believed that this wasn’t enough and that children also needed emotional care to ensure normal mental health. He believed that ‘mother love in infancy was as important for mental health as are vitamins and protein for physical health’. Therefore, if children were separated from their caregivers, keeping them fed, safe and warm was not enough.

Question 2

Bowlby - separation

Answer 2

When a child and their caregiver are separated repeatedly or for prolonged periods of time the attachment becomes disrupted by not being physically together – Bowlby referred to this as maternal deprivation. Examples of situations causing separation are the infant going to hospital or day care, or the primary caregiver going to work or, going into hospital or prison, or losing contact with the child through divorce, etc. In these situations, the child is deprived of the emotional care that is normally provided by their primary caregiver. Bowlby proposed that this would have long-term consequences in terms of the child’s emotional and social development (eg delinquency, affectionless psychopathy).

Question 3

critical period

Answer 3

However, separation will only have this effect if it takes place during a critical period (before the age of two and a half years of age). Furthermore, deprivation and its long-term effects can be avoided if suitable substitute emotional care is provided.

Question 4

Research: Bowlby 44 thieves study

Answer 4

Aim – To investigate the long term effects of early deprivation on social and emotional development.

Procedure – 88 children between 5 and 16 had been referred to a clinic for behaviour problems. 44 of them were thieves and 14 of these were described as being “affectionless psychopaths” (no sense of guilt, no
shame and no social conscience). The remaining 44 were emotionally disturbed but had committed no anti-social acts. The children and their parents were interviewed to find out about their early lives.

Findings – Bowlby found that 86% of the thieves who were “affectionless psychopaths” (12 out of the 14) had experienced early, prolonged separations from their mothers compared to just 17 % (5 out of 30) of the other thieves. Only a few (4%) of the children who were not thieves had experienced such separations.

Conclusions – Early separations from the mother are associated with later problems in social and emotional development. Being deprived of emotional care can lead to extremely anti-social behaviour in the form of affectionless psychopathy.

Question 5

Evaluation of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation, supporting evidence

Answer 5

There is supporting evidence for Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory. For example, Bowlby’s 44 Thieves study found a link between early separations from the mother and later problems in social and emotional development. This is a strength because it shows that being deprived of emotional care does have long-term consequences as suggested by Bowlby.

Question 6

Evaluation of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation, criticism

Answer 6

However, there is evidence that challenges Bowlby’s claim that without substitute emotional care, maternal deprivation inevitably leads
to maladjustment. For example, one study looked at children who were under the age of four when they were hospitalised due to tuberculosis. In the TB clinic, there were strict regimes, very little emotional care
and only weekly visits from parents. No differences were found in terms of delinquency or problems in forming social relationships between these children and a control group who had not been in hospital. This is a weakness because it suggests that maternal deprivation does not necessarily have harmful effects.

• Furthermore, there is an alternative explanation for the long-term effects seen in Bowlby’s 44 Thieves study. Michael Rutter suggested that the negative effects of separation depend more upon the reasons for being parted from the caregiver rather than separation alone. He found that if separation occurs because of family conflict then behaviour problems are more likely to occur. This challenges Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis as it suggests that the delinquency and emotional maladjustment may be due more to difficult family circumstances in early life, than simply from maternal deprivation.
• Rutter added a further criticism of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation. Rutter claimed that Bowlby’s theory failed to distinguish between the effects of deprivation (the loss of the primary attachment figure after an attachment bond has formed) and privation (the failure to form any attachment bond). The effects of privation tend to be much more severe than the effects of deprivation. Many of Bowlby’s 44 thieves had moved from home to home during early childhood and so may not have had the opportunity to form an attachment. Privation, rather than maternal deprivation could therefore be the cause of
  their affectionless psychopathy. This is a criticism as it questions the accuracy of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation.

Question 7

Evaluation of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation, practical application

Answer 7

• Despite criticisms of the maternal deprivation hypothesis, Bowlby’s ideas had a huge impact on the way children were treated and therefore his research has useful practical applications. For example, prior to the 1950s parents were discouraged from visiting their children in hospital as it was believed it would delay their child’s medical recovery. Bowlby’s work led to major changes in policies and practices in the care of children in hospitals such as encouraging parents to stay overnight because it was recognised that this prevents emotional deprivation and promotes quicker recovery through reduced anxiety. This is a strength because research has been used to improve the lives of children and families in the real world.