Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation

Bowlby's Theory of Maternal Deprivation

- Proposes being separated from mother in early childhood has serious consequences

- Different from separation (child not in presence of primary attachment figure)

- Deprivation is when child is deprived of emotional care (can even happen if mother but e.g. depressed)

- Brief separations especially where child is with substitute caregiver who can provide emotional care, are not significant to development

- Extended separations can lead to deprivation, which causes harm

- Critical period of psychological development is 2.5 years

- If child is separated from mother in absence of suitable substitue care (so deprived of emotional care for extended duration of time during critical period) then psychological damage is inevitable

- Continuing risk up to age of 5

Impacts of Maternal Deprivation

- Delayed intellectual development shown by abnormally low IQ

- Goldfarb (1947) found lower IQ in children who remained in institutions compared to those who were fostered/had higher standard of emotional care

- Affectionless psychopathy (inability to experience guilt or strong emotion towards others)

- Affectionless psychopathy prevents fulfilling relationships from being developed and is associated with criminality

- Affectionless psychopaths cannot appreciate feelings of victims so lack remorse for their actions

Bowlby's 44 Thieves Study (1944)

- Examined link between affectionless psychopathy and maternal deprivation

- Sample of 44 criminal teenagers accused of stealing

- Thieves interviewed for signs of affectionless psychopathy

- Families interviewed to see if thieves had prolonged early separations from mothers

- Sample compared to control group of 44 non-criminal but emotionally disturbed young people

- 14 out of 44 thieves could be described as affectionless psychopaths and 12 of these had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers in the first two years of their lives

- Only 5 of the remaining 30 thieves experienced separations

- Only 2 in the control group had…