Harlow’s experiment with rhesus monkeys helped him create an explanation for the attachment behavior that infants generally have. He explains that the attachment behavior occurs because of the mother providing comfort, not food (Harlow, 1961; Harlow & Zimmermann, 1959). His studies also suggest that infants have an innate need to touch and to hold on to something for emotional comfort. Harlow’s findings on attachment behavior support John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth findings for their theory of attachment. John Bowlby was a psychoanalyst that defined attachment as a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (1969, p. 194). His theory suggests that children were born equipped with behaviors that would ensure their survival.
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Her research modified and improved this theory by explaining the differences of newborns in attachment (Ainsworth, Blehar, & Waters, 1978). She identified three main attachment styles and concluded that the styles were due to early interactions with the mother. Ainsworth hypothesized that the specific reason for why there are different styles was due to how sensitive was the mother towards the child (Ainsworth, Blehar, & Waters, 1978). The more sensitive the mother was to the child and respond to stimulus provided by the child correctly, the more likely that the child would be securely attached to the mother. On the other hand, the less sensitive the mother was towards the child, respond incorrectly to the child’s needs, or are impatient and ignores the child, are more likely to have insecurely attached children. In Harlow’s studies, when the monkey was raised alone without a mother, neither wire or cloth surrogate, and was frightened, the monkey stayed alone, even if there was a cloth mother available to them (Harlow & Zimmermann, 1959). In this case, I do not think the monkey developed any attachment behavior and would fit into any of the attachment styles. There was nothing available to the monkey that enabled it to develop any feeling of security. As a result, when the monkey was exposed to something frightening, it simply immersed into its own world, rocking back and forth by
Her research modified and improved this theory by explaining the differences of newborns in attachment (Ainsworth, Blehar, & Waters, 1978). She identified three main attachment styles and concluded that the styles were due to early interactions with the mother. Ainsworth hypothesized that the specific reason for why there are different styles was due to how sensitive was the mother towards the child (Ainsworth, Blehar, & Waters, 1978). The more sensitive the mother was to the child and respond to stimulus provided by the child correctly, the more likely that the child would be securely attached to the mother. On the other hand, the less sensitive the mother was towards the child, respond incorrectly to the child’s needs, or are impatient and ignores the child, are more likely to have insecurely attached children. In Harlow’s studies, when the monkey was raised alone without a mother, neither wire or cloth surrogate, and was frightened, the monkey stayed alone, even if there was a cloth mother available to them (Harlow & Zimmermann, 1959). In this case, I do not think the monkey developed any attachment behavior and would fit into any of the attachment styles. There was nothing available to the monkey that enabled it to develop any feeling of security. As a result, when the monkey was exposed to something frightening, it simply immersed into its own world, rocking back and forth by