Harry Harlow Contributions To Psychology

After considering the article, it’s clear that the findings from Harlow’s study provided valuable and life changing knowledge to all parents and caregivers worldwide. It was previously thought that forming a close bond with an infant would lead them to be spoiled, but after much research, especially Harry Harlows, it was shown that attachment is actually extremely important for the development of the child. Harlow’s study on the infant monkeys has led to a lot of controversy and uproar. Many people believed that taking the monkeys away from their mothers at such a young age was detrimental to the monkey’s wellbeing and not in their best interest (New World Encyclopedia, 2014). It was seen as inhumane to keep the monkeys in the cages at such …show more content…
Harlow’s experiments led to critical changes in orphanages, social service agencies, adoption agencies and child care providers approached the care for children (Cherry, 2016). With the new knowledge that providing comfort and security for children is beneficial to children, it is clear that all the agencies listed above would have to change their outlook on taking care of children. For example, orphanages need to make sure to create a close bond with the infants by holding them while feeding them rather than placing them in a crib with a bottle with no physical contact (New World Encyclopedia, 2014). It is important for these care providers to be rocking and cuddling the infants to provide them with the security that they need.
Based off of Harlow’s research it is also evident that adoption seems to be a more positive option for young children than keeping them in an orphanage or institution. It is better to put young children up for adoption because they will have more crucial one on one interaction with the care givers than they would in an orphanage full of children (Harry F. Harlow, Monkey Love Experiments, …show more content…
A topic that I continued to think about while reading Harlow’s article was reactive attachment disorder. I’ve had a lot of experience working with individuals with reactive attachment disorder, and it intrigues me the amount of knowledge and research that is available out there on parent and child bonds. Reactive attachment disorder is simply defined as having a lack of attachment to a caregiver in the early years of life (Wood, 2005). Therefore, many children who do not receive the proper caring and nurturing from their caregivers will end up not being able to form healthy relationships and attachments with others. Harlow’s research made such an impactful contribution to parenting that could have saved so many children from the suffering that reactive attachment disorder will do to the