Question

What did Harry Harlow’s monkey experiments demonstrate about attachment?

Answer 1

Harlow experiment with baby monkeys and surrogate mothers disproved the contemporary cup board theory of attachment to care givers to give proofs to more intimate and loving attachment.

Harry Harlow was the first American psychologist to scientifically investigate the nature of human love and affection thorough his experiment on rhesus monkeys. The maternal deprivation in monkeys were the landmarks not only in primatology but in the evolving science of attachment and loss.

Harlow demonstrated the importance of early attachment, affection and emotional bonds on the course of healthy development. Harlow also demonstrated the powerful effects of love and in particular, the absence of love. His experiment seems to be unethical and cruel but uncovered the fundamental truths that have heavily influenced our understanding of child development.