Harlow and Harlow Flashcards
What was Harlow’s family like?
4 siblings, one was very ill so the mother focused on him
How did monkeys act if raised without care?
– Displayed disturbed behaviours
– Were unable to form a social structure
– Were unable to mate
– If females did give birth, they were unable to nurture their infants and were often abusive
What were the perspectives of attachment at the time?
Behaviourist and psychoanalytic. Against spoiling children with love
What did Watson say to never do to a child?
Hug or kiss them
How old were the monkeys when seperated from their mother?
6-12 hours
What severe abnormalities did the monkeys raised in isolation show?
- Engaged in stereotypical behaviour patterns
- Exhibited excessive and misdirected aggression
- Engage in self-punishing behaviour
- If introduced to an opposite-sex monkey, sex behaviour was destroyed
What did Harlow find when researching group psychotherapy?
Monkeys raised in isolation showed improved behaviour when moved to a zoo.
But, when they returned to the lab their behaviour deteriorated
Which monkeys had the most normal behaviour?
Ones that had interactions with other infant monkeys
What did Harlow say the critical period for development was?
80 days
What are the problems with comparing monkeys to children?
- Development time (develop 3-4x quicker than humans)
- Role of cognition
- Social interactions (e.g., sexual behaviour)
- Family/social constellations
Which observations can be seen in humans and monkeys?
- Stereotypical movements, self-harm
- Lack of social interest & social skills
- Generational effect
What did Harlow show?
that non-maternal caregivers could be effective parents
What later research did Shaffer and Emerson show?
That infants can form multiple attachments
What were Bowlby’s four stages
- (0-2 months) – the infant shows little differentiation in social responses to familiar and unfamiliar people
- (2-7 months) – infants recognise their caregivers but do not show anxiety on separation
- (7 months - 2 yrs) – “stranger danger” and infants protest at separation
- (> 2 years) – infants begin to show more independence and recognition of caregiver’s needs
What did Bowlby argue that attachment of infants to their mother was?
An innate primary drive
