John Bowlby and Maternal DeprivationBowlby believed that maternal behavior was as 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 between mother and child occurs within the child's first years of life, Bowlby believed that the bond would be irreversibly broken, leading to serious emotional consequences for the child in later life. She referred to this as maternal deprivation. Bowlby argued that maternal deprivation had the following consequences:1. Aggression5. Depression2. Delinquency6. Dependent anxiety (being "attached")3. Dwarfism (retarded growth)7. Affectionate psychopathy (not showing feelings for others)4. Intellectual retardation8. Social Maladjustment (To help you remember them, the first letters of each ADDIDDAS spell) Evidence for these claims comes from a number of research studies including: Spitz, Spitz & Wolf, Goldfarb, Robertson & Robertson& Reading: Davenport p43 - 46 for detailed reports of these studies. In addition to "evidence" from ethological studies and psychoanalytic theory, Bowlby also conducted his own studies of maternal deprivation, particularly his study of "forty-four juvenile thieves." are they unsure?'Evaluation of Bowlby's contribution----------------------------------------- -Bowby's ideas had far-reaching effects, leading to a much more child-centred approach by many institutions and organisations. It… half the article… point Bowlby himself made in the late 1950s. Evidence from separation studies has concluded that Bowlby's concept of maternal deprivation is too vague and tends to ignore the influence of the attachments of others. compared to those with the mother. Psychologists now use the term parenting to emphasize that "mothering" can be provided by people other than the birth mother, and even by multiple people, both male and female. The main criticisms of Bowlby are:1. His concept of maternal deprivation is too broad2. The effects of maternal deprivation can later be reversed, as demonstrated in the studies of Koluchova and the Robertsons3. Most studies were poorly controlled4. Ignores children's ability to form bonds with other adults and/or children5. His samples were not representative