Privation Case

Privation is where an infant never has the opportunity to form an attachment. This could be because they have been institutionalised or in severe cause physically and/or mentally abused.

Within psychology, there have been numerous attachment studies, in particular Rutter's Romanian Orphans and the case study of the Czech twins and Genie. As will be shown and can be debated, the Genie case study is the only true privation case.

However, we still need to examine Rutter's Romanian Orphans in order to support or it will give us insight or more evidence to support or criticise one view on privation. Due to the orphanages being considerably under staffed and therefore the child received very little communication, attention or the basic health and hygiene requirements. Therefore, it is difficult to assess whether other variables other than the missing of a PCG and attachment was the only cause for reduced language, IQ and social skills. Furthermore, the comparison of Rutter's sample is rather difficult because the orphans had not had the same experiences as the British adoptees, creating possible demand characteristics and lack of validity.

In addition to, the sample was made up of different age ranges for the start of adoption which would help support or weaken Bowlby's critical period proposal. If Bowlby was correct, then one would help expect to see a lack of attachment, cognitive and social development in those children that had been adopted at the end or outside of the critical period. Rutter did support some of Ainsworth and Bell's and Main and Soleman attachment types' behaviour, in particular the anxious ambivalent, which he called disinhibited attachment. These children definitely displayed abnormal behaviour; excessive attention seeking from any adult; stranger or known, inappropriate physical contact and the lack of a safe base. Subsequently, strengthening Bowlby's critical