harlow

• Harlow (1958) procedure


  Infant monkeys were removed from their biological mothers and placed in cages with surrogate mothers: A cloth-covered 'mother' (no food) and a wire 'mother' (that provided food). Time spent with the mother was recorded, as well as which surrogate the infant ran to when frightened by a mechanical monkey.
• Harlow (1958) findings


  The infant monkeys spent the most of their time with the comfort-providing 'cloth mother', only visiting the 'food mother' when they needed to eat but quickly returning to the cloth mother for comfort.

  The infant monkeys returned to the cloth mother when frightened and monkeys without access to a cloth mother showed signs of stress-related illness.

  In follow-up studies, Harlow found that the maternal deprivation resulted in permanent social disorder in the monkeys as adults, including difficulty in mating behaviour and raising their offspring.
• + Humans and monkeys are similar


  E - Green states that, on a biological level at least, all mammals (including rhesus monkeys) have the same brain structure as humans; the only differences relates to size and the number of connections.

  E - Harlow's results, therefore, can be generalised to humans as monkeys and humans are extremely similar.

  L - However, animal studies rely on the assumption that animals and humans develop and learn in the same way (extrapolation).
• + Practical applications


  E - Harlow's research has profound implications for childcare. After birth, immediate physical contact between mother and babies is now encouraged.

  E - Due to the importance of early experiences on long-term development, it is vital that all of children's needs are catered for. Taking care of a child's physical needs alone is not sufficient; emotional needs have to be cared for.

  L - Therefore, the animal studies have allowed attachments within humans to be improved.
• - Unethical


  E - Harlow's experiments have been seen as unnecessarily cruel. The monkeys in the study suffered from emotional harm, from being reared in isolation. Harlow created a state of anxiety in female monkeys, which had implications once they became parents.

  E - this suffering was real and broke ethical guidelines and it was public knowledge so the study harmed psychology's reputation.

  L - However, some psychologists argue that it is better to study on animals rather than harming human infants.
• - Confounding variables


  E - The heads of the two 'mothers' varied significantly. The monkeys may have chose one 'mother' over another because they preferred the physical appearance of one monkey over the other.

  E - The study lacks internal validity because of this drastic difference, as it is difficult to determine what the true cause of the monkeys behaviour was.
• Harlow + contact comfort


  A test of the 'cupboard love' theory, that babies love mothers because they feed them.
• Harlow's research suggest that monkeys have a biological need for physical contact and will attach to whatever provides comfort rather than food, providing evidence against the cupboard love theory.