Outline the Theory of Maternal Deprivation as described by Bowlby

Bowlby’s theory of Maternal Deprivation is an attachment theory that states that a prolonged separation of an infant from an attachment figure, primarily the mother, can cause detrimental effects on intellectual, emotional and social development. These effects, Bowlby claimed, can lead to a child displaying affectionless psychopathy and have an unusually low IQ. Bowlby also stated that if children under 2 and a half years experience deprivation without any substitute figure, the effects will be severe and lasting. Experiences at this age contribute to the child’s internal working model, suggesting that since an infant did not form an attachment to a caregiver, when they later have children of their own, they may be unable to provide the care needed to allow a secure attachment to form.