Harlow's Monkeys Study

Harlow's Monkeys Study

1. Aim

   • To study the behaviour of infant monkeys separated from their mothers at birth to test the effects of the separation

2. Method

   • Infant rhesus monkeys were taken from their mothers and kept in a cage with two substitute mothers
     • A cloth mother covered in a soft blanket to offer comfort
     • A wire mother that provided a feeding bottle
   • The monkeys were kept in these conditions for a period of time, and then released into a cage with a group of normally reared monkeys

3. Results

   • The infants preferred to spend more time with the cloth mother even though the wire mother offered them food
   • When returned to the company of other monkeys:
     • They were aggressive towards other monkeys
     • The deprived monkeys showed signs of inappropriate social behaviour and deliquency
     • Unable to form normal relationships
     • Attacked any monkey that tried to mate with them
     • Any monkeys that did have offspring were extremely poor, neglecting mothers

4. Conclusions

   • Physical comfort is more important for attachment that food
   • Lack of attachment results in delinquent and antisocial behaviour

5. Criticisms

   • Harlow said that this demonstrated comfort was more important than food, however monkey young cling to their mother as a survival instinct., so this need to cling to its mother might not be for ‘love’ but just for protection against predators. If so than this cannot be likened to humans
   • The study lacked ecological validity as it wasn't conducted in the monkeys natural environment
   • Ethical Issues
     • The animals were clearly showing distress as they didn't want to be put into the cage but they had no right to withdraw from the research - they were forced
     • The animals were psychologically damaged and the experiment affected their entire lives as they were unable to form relationships
     • The researchers must have been aware that monkeys felt emotions as they were investigating their feeling of comfort and security. However, they completely overlooked this and acted as if the monkeys could feel no emotional pain