One of the most well known and controversial experiments in psychology is Harry Harlow’s Wire Mother Experiment, in which Harlow demonstrated the importance of affection in human development. It is no surprise that infants rely heavily on their mothers for survival; they provide food and protection. Thus, an attachment between mother and child forms at an early age. This makes sense, but is this the entire explanation for such a unique bond? Harlow certainly did not think so. He believed that there is another factor: tactile comfort.

To test his hypothesis, Harlow set up an experiment where baby rhesus monkeys were separated from their biological mothers shortly after birth. They were then placed in a room to be “raised” by two different surrogate mothers. One “mother” was made of wire and provided milk, while the other was made of soft terry cloth but did not have any food. Upon being given a choice between the two, he found that the monkeys preferred to spend most of their time with the cloth mother. They would only turn to the wire mother when hungry. Additionally, when encountering scary objects, they immediately gravitated toward their cloth mothers. According to the data, they strongly valued physical contact for emotional support and security. When the surrogate mothers were removed, Harlow noticed that the infants’ behavior drastically changed. The monkeys showed many signs of discomfort and distress.

Harlow’s work proved that emotional nurturing is equally important as meeting physical necessities when it comes to raising children. Although his experiments were often cruel, they have taught us the detrimental effects of the absence of love. For healthy emotional and social development to occur, a child must receive affection early on. Harlow’s research has played a key role in preventing child neglect and abuse. Today, the operations of adoption centers, orphanages, and schools are influenced by the results of his impactful experiments.