Evaluate Bowlby's maternal deprivation theory

There is as supporting evidence Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory.  Spits (1945) visited several south American orphanages where the children received very little warmth and emotional care from staff. Many suffered from anaclitic depression. They also concluded that the harm on their emotional well-being was due to this lack of emotional care. This supports Bowlby’s deprivation theory as Bowlby concluded that if a child doesn’t receive emotional care when they are young they will suffer long-term emotional consequences. This aligns with Bowlby's maternal deprivation theory, which states that a lack of a warm, continuous relationship with a caregiver results in permanent psychological harm.

However, Bowlby's supporting evidence (the 44 thieves study) may be subject to researcher bias. This is because Bowlby, after interacting with the children, had come up with the term 'affectionless psychopathy' for the 16 children. As he came up with the term himself, the research could therefore be subject to researcher bias and objectivity. This reduces the validity of the research.…