🔮 Bowlby: Maternal Deprivation Theory

Question 1

Bowlby

Answer 1

There is a link between maternal deprivation and deviant or anti-social behaviour

Question 2

Bowlby - Attachment

Answer 2

A child needs a close, continuous relationship with a primary carer from birth to 5 to develop normally.

Question 3

Bowlby - Separation

Answer 3

If attachment is broken, even for a short time, it can lead to affectionless psychopathy and criminal behaviour

Question 4

Bowlby - Evidence

Answer 4

Study of 44 juvenile thieves referred to child guidance clinic. 39% suffered maternal deprivation before the age of 5 compared with 5% of control group of non-delinquents

Question 5

Bowlby - strengths

Answer 5

• Backed up with evidence from the 44 thieves study
• Shows the importance of parent-child relationships in criminality

Question 6

Bowlby - limitations

Answer 6

• Retrospective studies rely on memory
• Doesn’t explain why 61% were not delinquent
• No evidence of affectionless psychopathy in further studies
• Overestimates how far early childhood affects later behaviour
• Sammons and Putwain: maternal deprivation not linked to criminality