Disruption of Attachment Failure to form attachment And the effects of Institutionalization

Deprivation Bowlby’s Maternal deprivation Hypo. loss of emotional care, leads to the breaking of emotional bonds disrupting attachment – behavioural problems 44 thieves 88 part. 44 thieves. 44 control interviews 16/44 thieves classed as affectionless psychopaths most of these had experienced prolonged separation Rest frequent separation Rutters PDD model stress rather than separation that causes the breaking of emotional bonds main attachment need not be with the mother Establishes ST and LT effects of deprivation Protest – distressed(crying) re-establish link with caregiver Despair – less hopeful, active, conserving energy Detachment – emotionally detached, wont respond to primary caregiver (avoidant/resistant attachment) Laura case study stay in hospital 8 days, restricted access time sampling technique distressed

Privation Never forming early attachment Rymer – case study Genie most of her life locked in a room, couldn’t stand, talk, malnourished went to child hospital improved learned some language went to foster home, interested in learning and showed more improvement back with mother then foster home, abused leading to retardation Chicken girl 8 yrs in a chicken coop not toilet trained couldn’t speak acted like a chicken little progress when institutionalised Freud and Dann jewish children(6) seperated at birth angry and violent toward adults formed infant-infant bonds as adults the effects of privation were reversed and normal intelligence

Institutionalization Hodges and Tizzard Opportunity sample 65 children in care of before the age of 4 months, matched pairs design longitudinal assessed at ages 4,8,16 assessed some were adopted, others returned to their original parents and the rest stayed in the institution those who remained were assessed on the emotional and social competance interviews and Q. Those adopted formed secure attachments : those not adopted Both sets were attention seeking Spitz very poor orphanages children suffered from anaclitic depression and little attention Goldfarb early institutionalisation has a –ve effects on development and is not overcome 15 orphans matched pairs design, longitudinal 3,6,9,12 2 groups. 1st adopted before 9 months. 2nd in orphanages for 3 yrs before being adopted 2nd had low intelligence, behavioural problems and emotionally distant Earlier they were adopted the effects lessened