Harry Harlow

Harry Harlow (1905–1981) was an American psychologist best known for his maternal-separation and social isolation experiments on rhesus monkeys, which demonstrated the importance of care-giving and companionship in social and cognitive development. He served as a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1930 to 1974.

Early life and education

Harlow was born on October 31, 1905, in Fairfield, Iowa. He completed his undergraduate degree at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and earned his PhD in psychology from Stanford University in 1930.

Career

In 1930, Harlow joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he established the Harlow Primate Laboratory. His research primarily focused on the study of learning, cognition, and memory.

Maternal-separation and social isolation experiments

Harlow's most famous experiments involved separating infant rhesus monkeys from their mothers and raising them with surrogate mothers made of wire or cloth. His findings highlighted the importance of mother-infant bonding, and he concluded that the need for affection was as crucial for psychological health as food and water were for physical health.

Legacy

Harlow's research has had a profound impact on our understanding of child development, and his findings have been instrumental in shaping public policy and practices related to child care. However, his methods have also been criticized for their ethical implications, sparking a debate about the use of animals in psychological research.

See also

• Attachment theory
• Animal testing
• Child development