1. ‘Maternal Deprivation’ hypothesis
We have already considered some of the factors which determine the nature of the attachment that a young child forms with its mother or other caregiver.
In the real world, of course, there are circumstances such as divorce or death of a parent that can disrupt
the child’s attachments or even prevent them from being formed at all.
“Mother love in
infancy and childhood is as important for mental health as are vitamins
and proteins for physical health.” (Bowlby, 1953.)

2. Attachment Disruption
Distress when separated for a relatively short period of time from PCG to whom an attachment has been formed
Attachment Disruption
Separation
Deprivation
Bond disruption
Occurs when a bond that has been formed is broken

3. John Bowlby (1907–1990)
According to Bowlby (1951), “an infant and young child should experience a warm, intimate and continuous relationship with his mother (or permanent mother figure) in which both find satisfaction and enjoyment.”
However, Bowlby went on to put forward the more controversial maternal deprivation hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, breaking the maternal bond with the child during the early years of its life is likely to have serious effects on its intellectual, social, and emotional development.
Bowlby also claimed that many of these negative effects of maternal deprivation are permanent and irreversible.

4. Bowlby (1951)
He considered that a strong attachment to a mother figure was essential for the psychological, emotional and intellectual development of babies and toddlers. Loss of an existing attachment, ‘maternal deprivation’ could result in serious and long-lasting problems - even affectionless psychopathy.
He argued that the first 2.5years of life, the critical period, were crucial if the child was separated from their primary attachment figure (often the mother) for an extended period of time and in the absence of substitute care, damage was inevitable.

5. Short-term effects of Deprivation. Study - Robertson & Robertson.
Aims: To investigate the short term effects of deprivation by examining children in hospital. This study was done in the late 1940's when parents were not allowed to visit their children in hospital as they were told it would be too distressing, so long hospitalisation was a form of deprivation.
Procedures: They examined children in hospital, looking particularly at how the children coped with the separation form their mother. They also made a series of upsetting films of these children, the most famous being that of 'John' coping badly with the trauma.
Findings: The main finding was that during the separation, children were extremely distressed, and on their return home, were less attached, less affectionate, and less happy than they had been before.

6. Robertson & Robertson cont…
Conclusion: All of the effects described above were classed as the short-term effects of deprivation. Bowlby and Robertson and Robertson developed these effects into three stages, called the PDD MODEL.
Evaluation: This study had MAJOR IMPLICATIONS ON HOSPITAL VISITING HOURS. They were extended and children were better prepared for the situation.
Bowlby considered this study as one that SUPPORTS HIS THEORY OF DEPRIVATION and the effects that it could have upon the child.
This was an OBSERVATIONAL STUDY, this means it has HIGH E.V

7. Short-term effects of separation.
Bowlby and the Robertsons claimed that infants went through three stages of behaviour if separated from primary caregivers;
PROTEST - Crying, calling, distraught, panic-stricken.
Evaluation –
Barret ‘97
This initial stage depends upon how securely attached the infant is. Securely attached infants probably cope better.
Robertson & Robertson ‘71
These stages can be avoided if infants are prepared for separation.
SEPERATION ONLY LEADS TO DEPRIVATION IF THERE IS BOND DISRUPTION.
DESPAIR - Apathetic, occasional crying but still had need for mother.
Kubler-Ross - Similar stages shown by adults during bereavement.

8. STE continued..
DETACHMENT - Cry less, more alert and interested.
(so looks like a recovery), but, REJECTS MOTHER UPON HER RETURN. 
Normally attachment is re-established, but this process can ultimately lead to ANACLICTIC DEPRESSION.
EVALUATION –
Hogg - Observed similar rejection of the mother in separated gorillas.
Spitz & Wolf - Studied 100, previously ‘normal’ infants who showed signs of depression after a spell in hospital. If they were in this state for longer than three months, they seldom made a full recovery.

9. Bowlby Maternal Deprivation
The 44 juvenile thieves (Bowlby, 1944) (KEY STUDY)
Bowlby was a psychoanalyst and psychiatrist, working at the London Child Guidance Clinic in the 1930s and 1940s.
Aim: To investigate the long-term effects of maternal deprivation

10. Procedure:
He selected an opportunity sample of 88 children attending his clinic.
Group 1- thief group: 44 teenagers in the ‘theft group’ were referred to him because of their stealing.
Group 2- control group: 44 teenagers were referred to him because of emotional problems.
The two groups were matched for age and IQ.
The children and their parents were interviewed and tested by a psychiatrist (Bowlby), a psychologist and a social worker focusing specifically on their early life experiences.

11. Findings:
Thief group: 14 children from the theft group were identified as affectionless psychopaths, 12 of these had experienced prolonged separation of more than six months from their mothers in their first two years of life whereas only 5 of the remaining 30 ‘theives’ not classified as affectionless psychopaths* had experienced separations.
Out of the 44 children in the control group, only 2 had experienced prolonged separations and none of them were affectionless psychopaths.
*Affectionless psychopathy: a lack of normal affection, shame or sense of responsibility.

12. Effects on Development
Intellectual development
This is one way which maternal deprivation affects children's development.
Bowlby believed that of the children deprived of maternal care for too long during the critical period they would suffer mental retardation, characterised by abnormally low IQs.

13. Goldfarb (1955)
Studied two groups of kids from 6 months to 3 and half years.
Group one were raised in institutions, Group two in foster homes.
By age 3 group 1 lagged behind on a range of measures such as rule following and sociability.
Between ages 10 and 14 group 1 continued to preform more poorly and their IQ scores were lower than group 2’s.(IQ 96 & 68)

14. Effects on Development
Emotional Development:
Bowlby identified affectionless psychopathy as the inability to experience guilt or strong emotions for others.
This prevents the person developing normal relationships and is associated with criminality.
Affectional psychopaths cannot appreciate the feeling of victims and so lack remorse for their actions.

15. Evaluation See Handouts 1 & 2
Developing your maternal deprivation evaluations.