Experiments Flashcards
What is the basis of attachment?
o Satisfaction of biological needs?
or
o Comforting contact?
8 monkeys separated from mothers shortly after birth and reared by surrogate.
4 had a choice between a wire ‘mother’ with a bottle in the breast position and a cloth mother with no bottle.
4 had a choice between a wire mother with no bottle and cloth mother with a bottle.
Question: How much time did the monkeys choose to spend with each type of mother?
Regardless of who fed them, spent more than half their day with the cloth mother. So, perceived security rather than food critical to forming attachment
Contact comfort is necessary but not sufficient.
The baby monkeys who were raised by cuddly artificial cloth mothers had plenty of contact comfort, but were still unable to raise their own young upon reaching reproductive age.
However, baby monkeys raised by cloth mothers and also interacting on a regular basis with other young monkeys developed normally (cross-fostering).
Social interaction with other individuals is also necessary – though these individuals do not have to be a parent.
Harlow’s (1958) Experiment
