Maternal Deprivation

Question 1

When does deprivation occur?

Answer 1

When an attachment is formed between an infant and a caregiver but is broken later in life.

Question 2

When are the effects of maternal deprivation most acute?

Answer 2

During the critical period, should substitute emotional care not be provided

Question 3

What was the aim of Juvenile Thieves study and who carried it out?

Answer 3

Bowlby, The aim was to see if early separation from the primary caregiver was associated with behavioural disorders

Question 4

What was the procedure for juvenile Thieves study?

Answer 4

Children from 5-16 who had been referred to a guidance clinic in London where Bowlby worked were examined. 44 of the children were criminals ad 44 non criminals (control group). Bowlby created a record of early childhood experiences

Question 5

What were the results and what was concluded from Bowlbys study?

Answer 5

-14 of 44 children who were thieves were affectionless psychopaths, 86% of psychopaths had early and prolonged deprivation, only 17% of other thieves had experienced separation and 4% of control group experienced early separations.

Link between early separations and social maladjustment, maternal deprivation leads to antisocial behaviour.

Question 6

Brief evaluation of Bowlbys theory of a maternal deprivation

Answer 6

• Significant impact on real world scenarios where separation applies (Hospitals)
• Lewis (1944) found evidence countering Bowlbys study
• The findings are correlational, relationship but no cause and effect