Harlow

• Procedure:

  • Tested idea that a soft object serves some of the functions of a mother.
  • Reared 16 baby monkey with two wire model 'mothers'.
  • In one condition- milk was dispensed by the plain-wired mother.
  • Second condition- milk dispensed from cloth covered mother.
• Findings:

  • Baby monkeys cuddled cloth covered mother in preference to plain wired mother.
  • Sought comfort from cloth one when frightened regardless of which one dispensed milk.
  • Showed 'contact comfort' was of more importance to monkeys than food when it came to attachment behaviour.
• Maternally deprived monkeys as adults:

  • Maternal deprivation- permanent effect.
  • More aggressive and less sociable then other monkeys.
  • Bred less that is typical for monkeys
  • When become mothers- some neglected t young and others attacked their children (killing them in some cases).
• Critical period- 90 days
• Strength: Real-world value

  • Important real-world applications.
  • Helped social workers and clinical psychologists understand that a lack of bonding experience may be a risk factor in child development- allowing them to intervene to prevent poor outcomes.
  • Also importance of attachment for baby monkeys in zoos and breeding programmes in wild.
  • Means values of Harlow's research is not just theoretical but also practical.
• Limitation: Generalisability to humans

  • Ability to generalise findings and conclusions from monkeys to humans.
  • Rhesus monkeys are much more similar to humans than Lorenz's birds.
  • However, human brain and human behaviour is still more complex than monkeys.
  • Means may not be appropriate to generalise Harlow's findings to humans.