Attachment Unit: Maternal Deprivation and Privation

Overview

• Focus on disrupted mother-infant relationships.
• Discussion on John Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation.
• Examination of privation (absence of maternal care).
• Implications based on Romanian orphan experiences in the 1980s.

John Bowlby's Theory of Maternal Deprivation

• Monotropy: Strong bond with mother as a secure base.
• Critical Period: First 30 months essential for forming a monotropic bond.
  • Disruption leads to maternal deprivation, affecting social and emotional development.
  • Potential for delinquency, affectional psychopathy, and impaired intellectual development.
• Internal Working Model: Initial bond forms a schema for future relationships.
• Continuity Hypothesis: Ineffective internal models result in challenges in future relationships and parenting.

Evaluations of Bowlby’s Theory

• 44 Thieves Study: Linked prolonged separations with delinquency and affectional psychopathy.
• Limitations:
  • Correlational nature; cannot establish causation.
  • Influences from socioeconomic status, family history, etc.
• Real-world Impacts:
  • Influenced public policies and social welfare systems.
  • Economic implications like increased nursery care costs.
  • Gender bias criticism; emphasis on maternal role over paternal.

Privation and Romanian Orphan Studies

• Privation: Complete absence of emotional care and attachment bonds.
• Romanian Orphan Situation: Post-revolution, many children in poor conditions.
• Effects of Institutionalization:
  • Distinction between deprivation and privation.
  • Severe, long-lasting impacts on behavior and development.

Rutter's ERA Study (1998-2011)

• Study Design: Longitudinal; followed Romanian orphans adopted in UK.
  • Compared adopted at different ages and a control group.
• Findings:
  • Disinhibited attachment in children adopted after 6 months.
  • Delayed development in those adopted after 6 months.
  • Intellectual differences based on age of adoption.

Implications and Evaluations

• Policy Impacts: Influenced care and adoption policies, promoting early adoption.
• Study Limitations: Non-random adoption selection possibly biasing results.
• Potential for Recovery: Timely interventions can mitigate negative impacts.
  • Other studies support the possibility of recovery and development.

Conclusion

• Emphasis on the importance of early emotional care.
• Discussion of sensitive periods, rather than strict critical periods for attachment.
• Acknowledgement of ongoing research and evolving understanding of privation effects.