Lesson 6 - Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

What is Maternal Deprivation?

Answer 1

• Children that suffer from prolonged emotional deprivation because of the absence of their primary caregiver will have a lower IQ, social delinquency and emotional difficulties and even mental health issues.
• Effects are irreversible and will continue into adulthood because of a lack of an internal working model.
• Negative impact could occur if separation occurs before the child is 2.5. There is a risk up to 5 (sensitive period), and there is no substitute mother figure to emotionally care for the child.

Question 2

What did Bowlby do?

Answer 2

• Analysed case histories where he worked in a guidance clinic. All children were emotionally maladjusted.
• He studied 88 children, half of whom were caught stealing and half a control group.
• He suggested that 14 of the thieves were affectionless psychopaths, lacking affection, shame/ responsibility for their actions
• Bowlby found individuals who were classed as affectionless psychopaths had experienced frequent early separations from mothers. Almost none of the control group had experiences early separations from their mothers

Question 3

Evaluation (+)

Answer 3

• Before Bowlby, hospitals wouldn’t allow parents to visit their children during stays in the hospital. This had a damaging effect on the child. Now people are encouraged to stay in the hospital
• Children raised in a poor quality orphanage in South America displayed anaclitic depression due to staff being overworked and unable to give the children attention/affection
• Children in institutions that only looked after them physically had lower IQ levels. When transferred to an institute that provided emotional care, their scores improved by 30 points

Question 4

Evaluation (-)

Answer 4

• Effects of Maternal Deprivation has been shown to be reversible. Children that never formed attachments and were adopted after age 4 could form attachments to their new parents
• Bowlby didn’t distinguish between deprivation (lost) and privation (never felt. The latter could cause negative effects.