maternal deprivation Flashcards
(8 cards)
what did bowlby believe
bowlby believed ongoing maternal deprivation would have lasting negative effects on a child in terms of their emotional development leading to possible mental health problems or maladjustment
what else did bowlby believe about the effects of maternal deprivation
they would be most acute (severe) during the critical period (0-2.5)if subsitute emotional care is not provided. he also noted risk of adverse consequences up to 5 years of age
what are the effects on individual development
bowlby believed if children were deprived of maternal care for too long during critical period they would experience delayed intellectual development, characterised by an abnormally low iq
what are the effects on emotional development
he identified affectionless psychopathy as the inability to experience guilt or strong emotion towards others. this is also associated with criminality and prevents a person from developing normal relationships
what was the aim of 44 juvenile thieves study
to see if early separation from a primary caregiver (deprivation) was associated with behavioural disorders
procedure of study
- children aged 5-16 had been referred to a guidance clinic in london where bowlby worked and were examined
- 44 children were criminals and 44 non criminals were used as a control group. bowlby interviewed the children and their families to create a record of early experiences
findings of the study
bowlby identified 14 of the 44 thieves as affectionless psychopaths. 86% of these had experienced early prolonged deprivation. only 17% of other thieves experienced this seperation and 4% of control group
conclusion of study
these findings suggest a link between early separations and later social maladjustment. the maternal deprivation hypothesis appears to lead to affectionless psychopathy and antisocial behaviour.
