Maternal deprivation

Question 1

What is Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation?

Answer 1

Bowlby stated children need a warm, intimate and a continuous relationship with their mother in which both find satisfaction and enjoyment

Question 2

What was Bowlby’s procedure of the 44 thieves study?

Answer 2

• 88 children between 5-16 who had been referred to a child guidance clinic
• 44 were referred to stealing and the rest were a control group
• 16 of the 44 were diagnosed as affectionless psychopaths (lacked normal signs of affection, shame or sense of responsibility)
• control group was other types of behaviour but none affectionless psychopaths
• Bowlby interviewed children and family
• 86% of affectionless psychopaths had experienced early separation from mother and only 4% of the control group experienced this

Question 3

Deprivation vs Privation

Answer 3

• Rutter (1975)
• Claimed Bowlby mixed up deprivation and privation
• Bowlby never made it clear whether there was even a bond in the first place
• The severe long-term damage may of been privation not deprivation

Question 4

Research methods - bias

Answer 4

Sample bias - cannot generalize results as some children that were separated may not have issues
Researcher bias - Bowlby himself came up with the term affectionless psychopath and decided who fitted into each groups - objectivity issues

Question 5

Real world application

Answer 5

Bowlby’s research led to major social change in the way children were cared for in hospitals. Before this, parents were not allowed to visit their children but after this, the rules changed.