Bowlby's maternal deprivation theory Flashcards
(9 cards)
what is Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory?
continuous maternal care is essential for normal psychological development. prolonged separation = intellectual and emotional damage
what is the critical period?
first 2.5 years. if deprivation occurs during this, it could result in long term cognitive emotional and social difficulty, which is irreversible
what are the 2 main effects of maternal deprivation?
intellectual delay- low IQ
emotional issues- affectionless psychopathy (lack of guilt and empathy)
what was the aim of the 44 thieves study?
investigated to see if prolonged deprivation leads to affectionless psychopathy.
what was the procedure and findings of the 44 thieves study?
44 juvenile thieves interviewed for AP- control group of 44 emotionally stable kids
14/44 were affectionless psychopaths, 12 experienced maternal dep
strength- real world application
Bowlby’s theory influenced childcare policies, leading to changes such as extended hospital visiting hours so parents can stay with their children. It also promoted earlier adoption, which has positive implications for children’s attachment and emotional development.
weakness- contradictory evidence
Lewis- studied 500 ppl and found no link between maternal dep and criminality= challenges bowlby’s cause and effect assumption- This suggests that other factors, such as genetics or environmental influences, may play a more significant role in the development of criminal behaviour.
weakness- researcher bias
Bowlby designed and conducted the self-reports himself= his presence and interpretation might have influenced the outcome of the research. the diagnosis of AP might have been distorted by researcher bias.
strength- strong ecological validity
used real life case studies on children’s attachment experiences = reflects real-world situations, making the findings applicable to everyday life. The use of natural settings enhances the ecological validity of the theory
