Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis

Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis

1. explanation of what happens when attachments break

2. Short Term Separation

   • Protest - immediate reaction to separation, crying screaming, child's anger displayed
   • Despair - calmer, apathetic behaviour, anger is held in, comforts themselves (thumb sucking)
   • Detachment - responds to people again, wary, rejects carer is common
   • John separated from mum due to hospitalisation for 9 days
     • negative effects still seen years later
     • irreversible damage, supports MDH
   • seperation for longer than a week under 4yo linked to behavioural difficulties
   • Children with it were taken care off, prevented the damage - weakens theory
   • Has practical application - have daily visits for children and mothers
   • SA children and mature children cope better w separation - only some experience distress

3. Deprivation

   • LTD - permanent lengthly separation
     • divorce, death, imprisonment
   • children who experience more divorces = more behavioural problems
     • continual broken attachments lead to negative outcomes
     • However; negative outcomes are more short term than ltm as some adapt
   • divorce leads to stress and resentment, death leads to depression - diff separation causes have diff effects
   • sometimes divorce makes the house more happy - not always negative outcomes
   • helped psychologists create methods to help children cope w divorce better

4. Privation

   • children who have never formed a bond - leads to lasting damage
   • some recover fully, some don't
   • Bulldog Bank children
     • orphaned kids at conc camp - had no maternal attach
     • had little language, didn't play w toys, hostile w adults
     • refused to be separated from each other
     • gradually attached to carers n developed fully - successful adult relationships
     • lessened MDH
   • Genie - beaten, strapped and denied interaction till 13yo
     • years of language therapy, improved IQ from 38 to 77 in 6yrs
     • went back with mother + abused again - deteriorated in development
     • supports MDH
   • Case studies are extreme ones - unethical to use research methods
   • dependant on retrospective memories - not 100% reliable

5. Institutionalisation

   • care by orphanages and residential care homes
   • mix of privation and deprivation
   • disinhibited attachment - clingy and socially indiscriminate to adults
   • very little stimulation
   • Goldfarb - isolated institution kids had poor IQ and social skills whereas fostered children didn't
     • didn't used random samples - decreases validity
   • Thieves who were in juvie had no social conscious
     • affectionless psychopathy
     • supports MDH of negative long lasting effects
   • negative effects can be reversed by sensitive nurturing care - romanian orphanage study