Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation Flashcards
(11 cards)
What is the key idea of Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?
Continuous emotional care from the mother (or substitute) is essential for normal psychological development.
What is the difference between separation and deprivation in this theory?
Separation isn’t always harmful; deprivation (loss of emotional care) is what causes harm.
What is Bowlby’s critical period for emotional development?
The first 2½ years of life—deprivation during this time can cause irreversible psychological damage.
What are two effects of deprivation identified by Bowlby?
1) Lower IQ (e.g., Goldfarb’s study), 2) Affectionless psychopathy—lack of guilt or empathy.
What did Bowlby’s 44 Thieves Study investigate?
Whether affectionless psychopathy was linked to maternal deprivation.
What were the key findings of the 44 Thieves Study?
14 out of 44 were affectionless psychopaths; 12 of those had experienced prolonged maternal separation.
What is a major criticism of Bowlby’s supporting evidence?
His 44 Thieves and Goldfarb’s studies had methodological flaws (e.g., bias, war orphans, retrospective recall).
How did Rutter (1981) criticize Bowlby’s concept of deprivation?
He argued Bowlby confused deprivation with privation—the failure to form any attachment.
What does the Koluchová twins case study suggest about the critical period?
It may be a sensitive period rather than a strict critical one—recovery is still possible after age 2½.
What does the conflicting evidence show about Bowlby’s theory?
Later studies (e.g., Lewis, 1954) failed to replicate his findings; some modern research (Levy et al., 2003) supports long-term effects, but results are mixed.
Why is the 44 Thieves Study not strong evidence for causality?
It’s correlational—does not prove deprivation caused affectionless psychopathy; other factors like poverty may be involved.
