Harlow's research

• What type of animal did Harlow carry out his research on?

  Rhesus monkeys.
• What was the procedure of Harlow's research?

  Harlow set up two model monkeys; one made of wire that dispensed milk and one made of soft fabric that didn't.
• What were the findings of Harlow's research?

  Harlow found that:

  • The baby monkey spent 17-18 hours a day with the cloth-covered model and less than one hour a day with the wire model
  • The baby monkey sought comfort from the cloth mother when frightened (by a mechanical toy) and used it as a base for exploration
  • 'Contact comfort' was of more importance to the monkeys than food
• What did Harlow find regarding maternal deprivation?

  He found that:

  • The monkeys reared by the wire mother were the most dysfunctional
  • Even the monkeys reared by the cloth mother didn't develop normal social behaviour
  • These deprived monkeys were more aggressive and less sociable
  • They bred less often, being unskilled at mating
  • When they became mothers, some of them neglected their young or even killed them (infanticide)
• What was the critical period for monkeys that Harlow found?

  A mother figure had to be introduced to a young monkey within 90 days for an attachment to form.