Harlow’s study on the nature of love used an infant’s closeness, touching, and attachment to a mother (wire or cloth) or contact comfort, as the operational definition of love. However, in his study the cloth mother that was meant to provide comfort was rather indifferent than actively providing nursing and comfort. Also, the wire mother provided a strong discomfort because of the material but it also did not actively decline nursing or comfort to the monkeys. Additionally, the definition of love used in the experiment is specific to the experience of love through touch only and only in relation to mothers and infants. Love is a complex emotion that can develop from attachment but also from caring and intimacy. Therefore, this experiment was
