Bowlby's Maternal deprivation

Question 1

What is it?

Answer 1

When a child is deprived of a close, continuous relationship with it’s primary carer.
Bowlby argued that children need this bond (typically with their mother) in order to develop normally.
Link between MD and deviance

Question 2

How does it explain crime?

Answer 2

Study of 44 juvenile thieves.
Consequences of MD:
inability to form attachments
Affectionless psychopathy
Delinquency
Problems with Cognitive Development

Question 3

How does Bowlby support Freuds psychodynamic theory

Answer 3

Both = that young
children need a stable
home environment, healthy emotional
relationship with their
primary caregiver => well
adjusted personality.

Question 4

Strengths

Answer 4

39% of thieves experienced early separation before the age of 5.
Compared to 5% in a control group of non delinquents.
His work shows the need to consider the role of parent-child relationships in criminality

Question 5

Weaknesses

Answer 5

Bowlby overestimates how far early childhood experiences have a permanent effect on later behaviour.
Bowlbys later study of 60 children found no evidence of ‘affectionless psychopathy’