1.2.4 Bowlby Evaluation

Question 1

Evaluation of methodologies and procedures points

Answer 1

• No causal findings
• Biased data
• The sample

Question 2

Why is there no causal findings in Bowlbys research

Answer 2

The conclusion that prolonged seperation causes the emotional problems experienced by many of the thieves is just a relationship, their may be other variables that caused the emotional problems

Question 3

Give an example of this

Answer 3

• It might be that discord in the home caused prolonged seperations between mother and child and also caused the affectionless nature of some of the children
• Or that the affectionless character caused the seperations in some cases
• No causal conclusions can be drawn

Question 4

How was Bowlbys data good

Answer 4

• He produced a rich record of qualitative data on each of his pps
• This provides many insights into the events that preceded the childrens problems

Question 5

What was the issue with Bowlbys research data

Answer 5

• Data is limited because it is based on the view of one person

Question 6

What is a further source of bias in Bowlbys data

Answer 6

• The case histories were largly based on the recollections of the parents about events that happened many years previously
• Such recollections are likely to be innacurate though we would expect some inaccuracy to lean towards potraying events more positively, which would lead to a ‘rosier’ picture of early childhood

Question 7

What was an issue with the sample

Answer 7

All 88 children were emotionally disturbed, therefor it might not be appropriate to generalise from this sample to all children

Question 8

Give an example of this

Answer 8

There may well be delinquents who have no emotional disturbance and the cause of their delinquency may be more social than emotional

Question 9

What did Bowlby suggest would be useful for this

Answer 9

To examine a sample of children appearing in court for stealing in order to determine whether all cases of delinquency have a similar explanation

Question 10

What subsequent research supports Bowlby

Answer 10

Rutter et al comparison between orphans who were adopted before the age of 6 months and those adopted after age of 6 months

Question 11

What was found in Rutters study

Answer 11

Those who were adopted later lagged behind a control group of UK children on all measures of psychical, social and cognitve development

Question 12

What were the ethical issues of Bowlbys research

Answer 12

• Confidentiality and privacy
• Valid consent

Question 13

Why were participants not given confidentiality

Answer 13

• The report gives first names and initial letter of last names
• Case histories provide a considerable detail of their lives
• It would be easy for someone to identify the individual and their families

Question 14

Why was valid consent an issue in Bowlbys research

Answer 14

• Data was collected as a routine part of treeating patients at the clinic and that the decision to use the data was retrospective
• Children were seen at the clinic from 1936-1939 but report was published in 1946
• Would have been difficult to gain consent 5 years later
• Ethical issues like this were less prpblematic then than they are now