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Bowlbys theory on maternal deprivation - Coggle Diagram
Bowlbys theory on maternal deprivation
John Bowlby proposed that prolonged emotional deprivation would have long term consequences in terms of emotional deprivation.
The value of maternal care
The findings from Bobbles 44 thieves study, as well as the findings from other research, came as a surprise because no one had really considered the long-term importance that the effects of separation had on infants and children. It was assumed that a good standard of food and physical care was the key importance of good care. If children were separated from their caregivers then all that was necessary was to maintain this standard.
Bowlby believed that it wasn't enough to make sure that a child was well fed and kept safe and warm. He believed that infants and children needed a 'warm, intimate and continuous relationship' with a mother (or permanent mother- substitute) to ensure continuing robust mental health. He famously said that 'mother-love in infancy and childhood is as important for mental health as are vitamins and proteins for physical health'
Critical period
Bowlby believed that a young child who is denied such care because of frequent and/or prolonged separations may become emotionally impaired. However, there are several important 'ifs'. This only applies to a critical period in development- separation will only have this effect if i happens before the age of about two and a half years, and if there is no substitute mother-person available. Bowlby also felt there was a continuing risk up to the age of 5 years.
Potential impact can be avoided if suitable substitute emotional care is provided by a mother-substitute (who could be male or female). Separation need not necessarily result in deprivation and it is deprivation that has the potential to cause long-term harm.
Long term consequences
Bowlby suggested that long-term consequences of deprivation was emotional maladjustment or even mental health problems such as depression. He demonstrated this in his 44 juvenile thieves study.
Key study: 44 juvenile thieves
Procedure
Bowlby (1944) analysed the case histories o a number of his patients in the Child Guidance Clinic in London where he worked. All the children attending the clinic were emotionally impaired. He studied 88 of these children- had had been caught stealing (the 44 'thieves') and the other half were a control group. Bowlby suggested that some of the 'thieves' were affection less psychopaths- they lacked typical signs of affection shame or sense of responsibility. Such characteristics enabled them to be 'thieves' - they could steal from others because it didn't matter to them.
findings
Bowlby found that those individual diagnosed as affection less thieves had experienced frequent early separation from their mothers. 86% of the affectionless thieves (12 out o 14) experienced frequent separations compared with 17% (5 out of 30) o the other thieves.
Almost none of the control participants experienced early separations whereas 39% of all thieves had experienced early separations. These early separations often consisted of continual or repeated stays in foster homes or hospitals, when the children were scarcely visited by their families
These findings suggest that earl separations are linked to affections psychopathy. In other words, a lack of continuous care may well cause emotional maladjustment or even mental illness.
Evaluations
Strengths
Real world application
Bowlby's study and theory had an enormous, positive impact on post-war thinking about childrearing and also on how children were looked after in hospitals.
Before Bowlby's research, children were separated from parents when they spent time in hospital. Visiting was discouraged or even forbidden. One of Bowlby's colleagues, James Robertson (1952), film a two year old girl called Laura during the eight day period she was in hospital. She is seen to be frequently distressed and begs to go home
Bowlby and Robertson's work led to a major social change in the way that children were cared or in hospital
Support for long-term effects
One way to consider the effects of maternal deprivation is in terms of vulnerability
Experiencing early maternal deprivation does not al3ays result in negative outcomes, but it does appear to create an increased likelihood hat this will happen. This was illustrated in a classic study by Antonia Bifulco et al (1992) of women who had experienced separation from their mothers either because of maternal death or temporary separation of more than a year. Bifulco found that about 25% later experienced depression or an anxiety disorder, compared with 15% who had no experience of separation. The mental health problems were much greater in those women whose los occurred before the age of 6
This supports Bowlby's notion of a critical period, suggesting that early childhood deprivation can lead to later vulnerability for depression and anxiety disorders.
Limitations
Individual differences
Research has shown that not all children are affected by emotional disruption in the same way
Barret (1997) reviewed various studies on separation and concluded rhqat. securely attached children become especially distressed
Deprivation versus privation
Michael Rutter (1981), in his book Maternal Deprivation Reassessed, criticised Bowlby's view of deprivation.
Rutter claimed that Bowlby did not make clear whether the child's attachment bond had formed but been broken, or had never formed in the first place. Rutter's view of deprivation was the latter (lack of an attachment bond) would have potentially far more serious consequences for the child than the former (the loss of an attachment bond). He therefore used the term 'privation' to refer to situations where the child fails to develop an attachment bond with one caregiver, and deprivation to refer to situations where a bond does develop, but through prolonged or traumatic separations is disrupted or lost
The lack of clarity in Bowlby's definition of deprivation may therefor negatively affect the validity of research findings