John Bowlby and Maternal Deprivation Essay - 595 Words

John Bowlby and Maternal Deprivation Bowlby believed that maternal behaviour was instinctive in humans as it appears to be in animals. Mothers and their babies form an instinctive attachment to each other using genetically inherited skills such as smiling, grasping, crying and so on. If a separation occurs between mother and infant within the first few years of the child’s life, Bowlby believed that the bond would be irreversibly broken, leading to severe emotional consequences for the infant in later life. He referred to this as maternal deprivation. Bowlby claimed that maternal deprivation had the following consequences: 1. Aggressiveness 5. Depression 2. Delinquency 6.†¦show more content†¦The recent debates about child abuse and the question of whether or not to remove at risk children from their natural parents can be seen to be related to the idea of maternal deprivation. If Bowlby is right, it may be better to leave such children with their parents — the long-term damage which could result from maternal deprivation might be a more important consideration than the risk of abuse. On the other hand, if Bowlby is wrong, children could be left in a potentially dangerous situation. However, one of the major effects of Bowlbys claims was to direct greater attention to the childs emotional and psychological needs, which werent considered as important in the 1920s and 30s as they are today. Much of the evidence Bowlby uses to support his views comes from studies carried out in the 1950s and 60s. The nature of the issues being investigated meant that controlled experiments couldnt be carried out. It would not be possible to separate children from their mothers in an experiment! Because control of variables was difficult, clear conclusions were difficult to draw. Other evidence from psychoanalytic case studies or from animal studies must also be interpreted very carefully. During the 1970s Bowlbys view came under increasing criticism as a result of other studies of varying degrees of maternal deprivation whichShow MoreRelatedAttachment Theory Essay1152 Words   |  5 PagesChris Livoti 3/5/13 IB Psychology Mrs. Urso John Bowlby is the pioneer of the attachment theory and worked with children who had been separated from their parents during World War 2. He observed that many of these children developed emotional problems, and he made the connection that the emotional problems stemmed from the separation from the mother. 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He stated that children require consistent and continuous care from a primary care-giver until the age of 5 – also known as the critical period (Bowlby, ) Continuous disruption of the relationship between an infant and primary care giver can affect the child in the long run socially, cognitively, and emotionally (Bowlby, 1951). â€Å"Bowlby, J. (1951).  Maternal care and mental health. World