Harlow's Research on Contact Comfort
Harlow's monkey experiments might sound harsh, but they revolutionised our understanding of what babies actually need from their parents. He gave 16 baby monkeys two artificial mothers - one made of plain wire and another covered in soft cloth.
The breakthrough finding was that monkeys always preferred the cloth mother for comfort, even when the wire mother provided food. This proved that contact comfort matters more than just being fed - babies need physical affection, not just nutrition.
The long-term effects were devastating for deprived monkeys. Those raised with only wire mothers became aggressive, couldn't mate properly, and often neglected or killed their own babies. Harlow found that monkeys needed a mother figure within 90 days for normal development.
These studies helped social workers understand child abuse risk factors and showed the importance of early bonding. However, the research involved significant animal suffering, raising serious ethical questions about whether such knowledge justifies the methods used.
Remember: Harlow's work proved that emotional bonds are built on comfort and affection, not just meeting basic survival needs.