Harlow took newborn baby monkey from their mothers. He then gave them he option to be with a plastic cloth covered monkey, with a light bulb for heat or a cold wire monkey with a bottle of milk attached. They choose the warm, comforting monkey each time and only went to the wire monkey when they where hungry, returning to the cloth monkey straight after they have fed. This had bad socialisation affects on the monkeys, as they where brought up with no love or care, the monkeys became scared and confused.
that being abused by their parents as baby moneys caused them to act strangly as adult monkeys
rhesus monkeys
Harry Harlow, an American psychologist, conducted research on maternal deprivation and social isolation in rhesus monkeys. He found that monkeys preferred a soft, comforting surrogate mother over one that provided food, demonstrating the importance of social contact and comfort in early development.
Harry Harlow was an American psychologist best know for studying the effects of isolation on macaque and rhesus monkeys. In these controversial experiments Harlow removed infant monkeys from their mothers and denied them physical contact with other monkeys for up to two years.
Harry Harlow's research, particularly with rhesus monkeys, highlighted the importance of comfort and emotional support in the formation of attachment bonds. His studies demonstrated that infant monkeys preferred to cling to a soft, comforting surrogate mother rather than a wire model that provided food, emphasizing the significance of nurturing and physical affection over mere provision of basic needs. This work laid the foundation for understanding the critical role of emotional connections in attachment theory.
Harry Harlow
Harlow's research suggested the importance of mother/child bonding. Not only does the child look to his/her mother for basic needs such as food, safety, and warmth, but he also needs to feel love, acceptance, and affection from the caregiver.
The Harlow monkey experiment, conducted by psychologist Harry Harlow in the 1950s, demonstrated the importance of comfort and emotional support in the development of attachment. Harlow used rhesus monkeys and provided them with two surrogate mothers: one made of wire that provided food and another covered in soft cloth that offered comfort. The monkeys overwhelmingly preferred the cloth mother, seeking her for comfort even when not feeding, highlighting the significance of nurturing and emotional bonds over mere physical sustenance in developing healthy relationships. This experiment profoundly influenced understanding of attachment theory and the emotional needs of infants.
They DID NOT show abnormal physical development.
Harry and Margaret Harlow conducted experiments using infant rhesus monkeys to study social isolation and maternal attachment. They found that the monkeys preferred a soft cloth surrogate mother over a wire one that provided food, highlighting the importance of comfort and warmth in attachment relationships. Their studies revolutionized understanding of the role of early maternal care in emotional development.
There were ethical and practical reasons why Harlow could not use humans in experiments to identify the nature of attachment between human infants and their mothers. Animals were not protected by the same guidelines on ethics. Therefore, Harlow could use monkeys in his experiments. The macaques are close to humans in evolutionary terms and in many behavioural traits so Harlow could gain insight which could transfer to human models.
Dr. Harry Harlow's research on contact comfort with monkeys concluded that social and emotional factors, such as the need for comfort and security, played a significant role in attachment formation, beyond just the provision of food. He found that the monkeys preferred a soft, comforting surrogate mother over a wire one that provided food, demonstrating the importance of contact comfort in nurturing social development and relationships.