Animal studies of attachment: Harlow

Question 1

AIM

Answer 1

investigate whether food or comfort was more important when forming attachments.

Question 2

METHOD

Answer 2

rearing 16 babies monkeys with wire monkeys.

milk was dispensed by either a plain wire monkey or a cloth covered monkey.

Question 3

FINDINGS

Answer 3

they sought comfort from the soft one regardless if it dispensed milk or not.
maternally deprived monkeys were more aggressive, less sociable and also neglected their young.
they had problems with mating with other monkeys due to the lack of a proper mother.
Critical period: within 90 days.

Question 4

Evaluation strength: influential

Answer 4

the idea that comfort have a positive effect on an infants development has influenced other theorists as well as child-rearing practices.

Question 5

Evaluation weakness: generalisability

Answer 5

human minds are more complex than monkeys.

Question 6

Evaluation weakness: ethical issues

Answer 6

monkeys were kept in crowded conditions, were deprived of their mothers and subjected to other types of abuse.