Harlow (Animal studies)

• What did Harlow observe?

  Rhesus monkeys
• What was the procedure in Harlow's study?

  Reared 16 baby monkeys with two 'wire' mothers
• What were the two conditions in Harlow's study?

  1 . Milk dispensed by plain-wire mother

  2 . Milk dispensed by cloth-covered mother
• What did Harlow find in his study?

  Baby monkeys cuddled the cloth-covered mother in preference to the plain-wire mother regardless of which dispensed milk
• What did Harlow's findings show?

  'Contact comfort' is more important than food
• How did Harlow study maternal deprivation in the monkeys?

  Followed the monkeys into adulthood
• Which monkeys were the most dysfunctional after Harlow's study?

  Those reared with plain-wire mothers
• Why were those monkeys with plain-wire mothers most dysfunctional after Harlow's study?

  They'd been maternally deprived
• What were the consequences of maternal deprivation on the monkeys observed by Harlow?

  Aggressive, less sociable, bred less, neglected their children, attacked their children
• When did Harlow suggest the critical period was?

  90 days
• What did Harlow suggest would happen if an attachment was not formed after the critical period?

  Irreversible effects - impossible
• Strength: Harlow

  What? Real-world applications

  Who? Social workers - lack of bonding = risk

  Importance of attachment figures for monkeys in zoos

  Why? Theoretical and practical value
• Limitation: Harlow

  What? Lack of generalisability

  Who? Human brain/behaviour more complex than monkeys

  Why? Innapropriate