animal studies of attachment: harlow (1958) maternal deprivation in rhesus monkeys

Question 1

aim

Answer 1

investigate the idea that mother love is not based on feeding bond but on contact comfort

Question 2

method

Answer 2

• 16 rhesus monkeys separated from mothers at birth
• placed in cages w/ access to 2 surrogate mothers:
  –> 1 = wire
  –> 2 = soft-terry towelling cloth
• 8 monkeys could get milk from wire mother
• other 8 could get milk from cloth mother

–> additional trial = harlow placed frightening mechanical object in cage & observed monkeys behaviour

Question 3

results

Answer 3

• both spend more time with cloth mother
• once fed, monkeys returned to cloth mother
• when frightening object placed inside cage = went to cloth mother

Question 4

what did harlow find with the monkeys who had been left with the surrogate mothers for over 90 days

Answer 4

• more timid
• lacked social behaviours & aggressive to other monkeys
• difficulty mating
• females were inadequate mothers (even killing offspring)

Question 5

could the effects on the monkeys be reversed

Answer 5

if left with surrogate mothers for less than 90 days

Question 6

conclusion

Answer 6

• provides evidence contrary to ‘cupboard love’ theory & monkeys need comfort/warmth just as much as food –> it is contact comfort the monkeys bond with
• critical period for behaviours = mother figure introduced within 90 days (otherwise attachment was impossible) & damage done by early deprivation was irreversible
  –> lasting effects of maternal deprivation

Question 7

maternal deprivation

Answer 7

emotional & intellectual consequences of separation between child & mother/mother-substitute

Question 8

what did bowlby propose

Answer 8

that continuous care from a mother is essential for normal psychological development & prolonged separation can cause serious damage to emotional/intellectual development

Question 9

AO3 -) cannot generalise findings to humans

Answer 9

E:
- humans have more complex behaviour & ways of thinking than monkeys
-however, rhesus monkeys are more similar to humans than lorenz’s bird

T: still not fully generalisable as some mammals obtain more complex methods of attachment

Question 10

AO3 +) real-world value

Answer 10

E:
- helped social workers and clinical psychologists understand how a lack of bonding experience may prove a risk factor in child development, allowing them to intervene to prevent poor outcomes (Howe 1998)
- also, now understand importance of attachment figures for baby monkeys in zoos and breeding programmes in the wild

T: demonstrates how value of harlow’s research is both theoretical and practical