b) Describe the procedures and findings of one study in which the effects of privation have been investigated.
The study I have chosen is Bowlby’s 44 thieves study. He took 88 clients form a child guidance clinic. Forty-four of these children had been referred to the clinic because of stealing (the thieves). Some of these thieves were referred to as affectionless psychopaths, because they showed little sense of social responsibility and showed no guilt either. Other children referred to the clinic had not committed any crimes, were emotionally maladjusted and did not display any anti-social behaviour. This was the control group who were not described as ‘affectionless psychopaths’.
Bowlby interviewed the children and their families to build up a record of their early life experiences. 86% of these thieves who were diagnosed as affectionless psychopaths had experienced early and prolonged separations form their mothers. This suggests that the early separations may be related to emotional maladjustment.
c) Psychologists are divided in the extent to which they see day care as beneficial to a child’s development.
To what extent does day care have a beneficial effect on cognitive and/or social development?
Cognitive development concerns the growth of the child thinking abilities. There are several factors that may cause delays in cognitive development. Social Development refers to the growth of social behaviours such as the ability to form attachments develops healthy self esteem and form appropriate relationships. The potential effects of day care on social and cognitive development and then we can consider how day care could be improved to avoid possible negative effects.
There have been many research studies to see whether day care has a beneficial affect on cognitive and social development. Andersson and Mayall and Petrie did these studies.
Andersson conducted a study of the effects of day care in Sweden. He took a sample of over 100 children, who were from both lower and working class homes, including one and parent families. The children were assessed at ages 8 and 13 in terms of their cognitive and social emotional competence. This was determined by teacher assessments and IQ data. Andersson found that school performance was highest in those children who entered day care before the age of one. School performance was lowest for those who did not have any day care. This suggests that day care is not harmful in terms of social and cognitive development may even be beneficial. However children who entered day care before the age of one also came from higher socio economic status homes.
Mayall and Petrie (1983) studied a group of London children below the age of two, their mothers and their childminders. The study found that the quality of care provided by childminders varied considerably. Some children did well, but some children were failing to thrive. There were two explanations for the children suffering. These were that some of them came from homes where there was ongoing conflict and the children’s problems could be explained because of this. The other explanation is possibly due to the childcare environment. The research showed that the children often spent the day in an under stimulated environment lacking love and attention.
It can be seen that that day care may be damaging because of the separation from the child’s primary caregiver. Some day care experiences can lack stimulation and attachment opportunities, but in general the cognitive and social development did not seem to be affected and some children may even benefit, due to maybe lacking certain opportunities at home. Children in day care appear to be as securely attached to their primary caregivers as those who are at home full time. However children who are insecurely attached benefit more from day care. In conclusion this states that it cannot be said that day care is good or bad in terms of cognitive and social development. The effects can be related to other circumstances in the child’s life and in some situations day care may even be positively beneficial.