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HARLOW 1959 - Coggle Diagram
HARLOW 1959
procedure
In one condition, monkeys could get milk from the wire mother and in another condition, monkeys could get milk from the cloth mother. The animals were studied for 165 days (approx 6 months).
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16 monkeys were separated from their mothers immediately after birth and placed in isolated cages with access to two ‘surrogate’ mothers, one made of wire and one covered in soft, towelling cloth.
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Harlow also recorded the long-term effects of the monkey’s ‘maternal deprivation’ in terms of their sociability with other monkeys and their relationship with any offspring.
findings
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When a frightening object was placed in the cage the infant took refuge with the cloth surrogate (its secure base), which was more effective in decreasing the babies fear.
Both groups of monkeys spent more with the cloth-covered surrogate (even if she had no food), only going to the wire surrogate when hungry
Conclusion
Harlow concluded that infant monkeys do not develop an attachment to the adult that feeds them (suggested by Learning theory) but to the adult offering sensitive responsiveness and security (suggested by Bowlby’s ‘evolutionary theory’).
maternal depravation lasted after the end of the critical period then no amount of exposure to mothers or peers could alter the emotional damage that had already occurred.
findings 2
5Harlow reviewed infant monkeys that were reared in a social (non-isolated) environment and observed that these monkeys went on to develop into healthy adults, whereas the monkeys raised in isolation with surrogate mothers ALL displayed dysfunctional adult behaviour, including:
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AIM Harlow conducted research with rhesus monkeys which were caged from infancy with ‘wire mesh’ and ‘cloth-covered’ surrogate mothers, to investigate which of the two surrogates would have more attachment behaviours directed towards it.