What Happens When Attachements Are Disrupted Or Prevented

Question 1

Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation

Answer 1

-the idea that the continuous emotion

Question 2

Maternal deprivation hypothesis

Answer 2

Devised by bowlby, suggesting that disruption of the attachment bond with the mother leads to serious, permanent damage to emotional and intellectual development (supported by Romanian orphanage study)

Question 3

Privation

Answer 3

When a child has been prevented from forming any kind of attachment in their early years.

Question 4

Possible negative effects of deprivation as suggested by bowlby

Answer 4

Emotional problems- e.g. Depression

Personality problems- lack of care for others and seems to lack empathy.

Intellectual problems

Relationship problems- Hazan and shaver supports

Poor physical development.

Question 5

Bowlbys 3 phases of distress as found from children in hospital 1950s when separated from parents

Answer 5

Protest: they cry, scream, struggle, cling and appears angry, afraid and bewildered.

Despair: child stops struggling , engaging with others and cannot be comforted by others but may show signs of comforting his or her self. (Sucking thumb)

Detachment: child starts to respond to others but in a superficial way rather than emotional. If parent returns at this stage they will not respond with any interest.

Question 6

Robertson and Robertson (1971)

Answer 6

• filmed children who needed residential care for several weeks whilst their mother was in hospital.
  -aimed to see the effect on the child.
• took 4 children
  Found- children showed some signs of distress but generally functioned well, slept well and didn’t reject the mother on return.
  BUT
  -a firth child (John) was put in to residential care for 9 days where nurses were caring but also very busy.
  -he tried to get attention from nurses in first few day which failed as they were busy
  -he looked for comfort in the oversized teddy, cried a lot, refused food and drink, and stopped playing.
  -he rejected his mother when she returned.

Question 7

Evaluation of Roberson and Robertson

Answer 7

Ethical issues- privacy of the children and lack of consent from the children
-but child’s identity remained anonymous.

Rich qualitative data- can get a detailed picture of the effects of separation for the children.

Biased results- rob and rob analysed their data themselves so may not be representative.

Question 8

Heatherington et al

Answer 8

• children assessed immediately after divorce aged around 4, then about 2 years after and 4 years after the divorce. The children lived with their mother.
  Found:
• immediately after divorce - children showed negative consequences compared to control (less mature play, attention seeking and aggression)
  Boys- more aggressive and less socially skilled
  Girls- no different to control groups.