Harry Harlow and the Nature of Love
While parental demonstrations of affection are often taken for granted today, there was was a time during the early twentieth century when experts warned parents about the dangers of holding their children. Behaviorist John B. Watson once even went so far as to warn parents, "When you are tempted to pet your child, remember that mother love is a dangerous instrument." According to many thinkers of the day, affection would only spread diseases and lead to adult psychological problems.
However, research on attachment soon changed how we view affection and love. In a series of controversial experiments conducted in 1960s, psychologist Harry Harlow demonstrated the powerful effects of love on normal development. By showing the devastating effects of deprivation on young rhesus monkeys, Harlow revealed the importance of love for healthy childhood development. His experiments were often unethical and shockingly cruel, yet they uncovered fundamental truths that have heavily influenced our understanding of child development.
Learn more about the study in this article: Harry Harlow and the Nature of Love
Comments
I would go a little further and state that affection and human contact are as necessary as food and shelter. While human contact is not explicitly in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (could be under the label of love/belonging), it is a necessary ingredient in life. Unfortunately, this was noticed under the Nazi experiments with infants. The babies where provided food and shelter, but denied human contact.
I read the original article in my High School Psychology Class this past year. You can read it here: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Harlow/love.htm