Very nice insight into the "Attach or Die!" mindset. This makes sense to me for a child even if they're not overtly aware that's what they're doing. Survival of the fittest, that's our Dean. I haven't had time to read your other recent meta, but I look forward to it. :)
I gained an appreciation for it when I worked with kids who had been abused and neglected. I'd meet their parents and could only think, "Damn but that's quite a wire-monkey you're trying to attach yourself to, there, kid." And they would, by any means possible.
Never having taken anything beyond Psych 101 at university, I'd never heard of Harlow's work before. But, wow, interesting stuff, esp. considering what I understand to be its implications about early infant adoption and the "reversibility" of infant trauma at 6 months. Good thing Azazel didn't visit Sam any earlier. ;) Btw, poor baby monkeys ... for the sake of science, I suppose it's a good thing they were done in the 60's because I don't think they'd fly under the ethics/animal rights radar these days
( ... )
Yeah, the Harlow experiments are of that era where there was very little oversight on experimentation. No way it'd get through an IRB in this day and age
( ... )
Comments 5
Reply
Have you ever heard of Harlow's experiments with the wire and terrycloth covered rhesus monkeys? http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~adoption/studies/HarlowMLE.htm
and video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLrBrk9DXVk
I gained an appreciation for it when I worked with kids who had been abused and neglected. I'd meet their parents and could only think, "Damn but that's quite a wire-monkey you're trying to attach yourself to, there, kid." And they would, by any means possible.
Oh, and here's a nice summary of more recent experimentation in attachment theory and its influence on later functioning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeZidAYp7e8&feature=related
*restrains self from passing out more candy to strangers*
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment