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Harlow's Monkeys Experiment

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Throughout the field of psychology we have learned the results of each psychological experiment and their results, which played an important role in the field. One significant study that changed our perspective about attachment was the Harlow’s Monkeys Experiment (1958) where Harlow wanted to study the mechanism between the newborn monkeys and their mothers, who they would be, analyze of how their bond is created. According to McLeod (2015) from the simply psychology website, the author says, “The behavioral theory of attachment would suggest that an infant would form an attachment with a carer that provides food. In contrast Harlow’s explanation was that attachment develops as a result of the mother providing “tactile comfort”, suggesting …show more content…

In the first stage the monkeys were put back with other monkeys after a year of isolation. The results from the interaction with other monkeys lead to bizarre behavior within the monkeys that were isolated because out of fear they were not able to communicate with them appropriately. The monkeys held on to themselves and rock themselves compulsively because they did not understand the situation that they were in. Since some of the isolated monkeys were terrified they became aggressive toward the other monkeys that tried to be near them. According to McLeod (2015) from the simply psychology website, the author says, “They were also unable to communicate or socialise with other monkeys. The other monkeys bullied them. They indulged in self-mutilation, tearing hair out, scratching, and biting their own arms and legs.” This shows how these monkeys were more paranoid being with other monkeys than being alone. Their paranoia towards the other none isolated monkeys showed us how the isolated monkeys formed a type of distrust amongst them because they do not know their intentions of them. Some monkeys that were isolated for at least three months were not as affected to the monkeys that were isolated for at least a year. This shows how a short period of time in isolation can cause trust and the ability of socializing with other monkeys than to the monkeys that were isolated through the whole year of their life. Harlow then concluded that if there is never a form of an attachment it could be permanently damaging to the monkeys that were isolated right after birth. In the second stage of the experiment, Harlow have studied the monkeys for at least six months and observed them closely. Throughout his observations he saw how the monkeys would go to the wired mom with the milk whenever they felt hungry and

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