Random An Experiment Took Monkeys Away From Their Mothers To Prove, Scientifically, That Love Exists (12 items)

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  (#10) Monkeys Placed In Isolation Without A Mother For Several Months Were Psychologically Damaged For Life

  Harlow performed other experiments in which he and his colleagues exposed the infant monkeys to long periods without a surrogate mother. Those who had no exposure to other infants or any surrogate mother within their first eight months were irreversibly damaged.

  The psychologist determined that for baby monkeys, the adverse effects could be altered only if they were isolated for less than 90 days. He concluded the human equivalent would be six months.
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  (#9) Monkeys With Wire Mothers Behaved Like A Child On The Autism Spectrum Might

  Harlow observed that the infant monkeys who were raised by wire mothers reacted in a manner similar to that of autistic children or children who spent time in institutions. The monkeys' behavior was also comparable to the behavior of adults who were committed to mental health facilities. The experiment showed the importance of emotional attachment to an individual's development.
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  (#2) Harlow Separated Infant Monkeys From Their Mothers Hours After Birth

  Harlow removed infant monkeys from their biological mothers just hours after they were born. Initially, the babies were split between two types of surrogate mother machines. One was made of mesh wire and the other was made of wood covered in soft terrycloth.

  Each surrogate was the same size. Typically, both types of surrogate mothers were capable of nourishing the monkeys with milk, but in some experiments only the wire mothers dispensed milk.
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  (#6) Baby Monkeys Who Had Wire Surrogates Struggled To Cope In Threatening Situations

  In another experiment, the infant monkeys from both groups were given the same amount of milk from their respective surrogate mothers, whether wire or terrycloth. Both groups  of monkeys grew at the same rate physically. Their psychological growth, however, was different.

  Those with terrycloth mothers who were put in stressful situations reacted normally and  attached themselves to their mothers to gain reassurance. If they were scared, they would cuddle with their terrycloth mothers for comfort.

  In contrast, monkeys raised by wire mesh mothers had problems coping with threatening situations. They would slam themselves onto the floor, scream, and attempt to sooth themselves by rocking back and forth. They did not seek out their wire mothers for comfort.
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  (#12) Harlow's Later Research Included The Horrific Pit Of Despair Experiment

  Later on in his career, Harlow took his experimentation a step further by locking some monkeys in boxes for nearly a year. He determined that the environment traumatized the babies and led to crippling psychological behavior. Harlow and one of his students, Stephen Suomi, also developed what became known as the "pit of despair."

  Their twisted creation was a dark metal box that completely isolated primates. The monkeys who were locked inside went insane within days. They ripped out their own fur, bit themselves, and tore their skin apart. When the researchers removed the monkeys from the boxes, some were so disturbed that they refused to eat and died of starvation.
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  (#3) Harlow Didn't Believe That The Infant Monkeys Would Have Issues With Surrogate Mothers

  Harlow was convinced that baby monkeys under the age of three months who were taken from their biological mothers would have little difficulty adjusting to their fake mothers. He didn't believe the mother/child bond occurred within the first 90 days of life. He wanted to prove that love for the mother was based on emotional needs not physiological factors.

  Harlow also aimed to find out if the bond between a mother and child was dependent solely on the mother being a food source or whether other factors contributed to their connection.

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