Research: Harlow (1959)

• PROCEDURE

  Harlow used a LABORATORY experiment in order to rear baby monkeys. He split the monkeys into two groups (independent groups design)

  • Condition one – the cloth mother provided milk and the wire monkey didn’t
  • Condition two – the wire monkey provided milk and the cloth monkey didn’t
• FINDINGS (Harlow)


  baby monkeys spent most of the time with the cloth-covered monkey

  whether or not this mother had the feeding bottle
• Long term affects (Harlow)

  the motherless monkeys developed abnormally into adulthood - they were more aggressive and less sociable than other monkeys
• Findings - Critical period

  A mother figure had to be introduced to an infant monkey within 90 days for an attachment to form.
• Strength (Harlow)


  practical applications - went against the dominant belief that attachment was related to physical care (i.e. food) and instead showed the importance of emotional care - led to important applications with both humans and animals (applied to social workers)