The DOI matches its Crossref record.
The nature of love
Abstract
Much as been written about Harry Harlow’s controversial use of rhesus macaques as experimental subjects in his research on mother-infant bonds. On August 31, 1958, Harlow presented the results of his work in his presidential address at the Sixty-sixth Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association in Washington, D. C. This talk was later published as a paper in the American Psychologist. This chapter is an excerpt from that paper and presents a fascinating perspective into Harlow’s views on human-macaque relations, animal sentience and ‘the nature of love’.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Indeed, at birth or soon after, all primate infants— except humans —cling to their mothers (see Harlow, 1958; Harlow and Harlow, 1962).”
From Back to basics: A re-evaluation of the relevance of imprinting in the genesis of Bowlby’s attachment theory (2022) · cites this paper as Harlow, 1958
In the citing paper
“Indeed, when infant monkeys were separated into two conditions—one in which they only had access to the wire ‘mother’ and the other in which they only had access to the cloth ‘mother’—infants in the wire ‘mother’ context showed significant psychological deficits [61].”
From The social origins of consciousness (2025) · cites this paper as [61]
In the citing paper
“While it has been well established that social isolation causes significant psychological and physical damage, perhaps the strongest evidence comes from preference tests that support the claim that social attention is deeply preferred across a wide range of species, and social isolation is among the most aversive experiences.”
From The social origins of consciousness (2025) · cites this paper as [61]
In the citing paper
“While it has been well established that social isolation causes significant psychological and physical damage, perhaps the strongest evidence comes from preference tests that support the claim that social attention is deeply preferred across a wide range of species, and social isolation is among the most aversive experiences.”
From The social origins of consciousness (2025) · cites this paper as [61]
In the citing paper
“The infants preferred the soft ‘mother’, speaking to the deep importance of social interaction and touch in primates.”
From The social origins of consciousness (2025) · cites this paper as [61]
In the citing paper
“While it has been well established that social isolation causes significant psychological and physical damage, perhaps the strongest evidence comes from preference tests that support the claim that social attention is deeply preferred across a wide range of species, and social isolation is among the most aversive experiences.”
From The social origins of consciousness (2025) · cites this paper as [61]
Citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 401–500 of 997
Shalev, I., & Bargh, J. A. (2011) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691611416993 · Cited by 43
“This association was first demonstrated by Harry Harlow (1958), who showed how physical warmth could be effectively substituted (in monkeys) for absent maternal warmth, leading to significantly greater social warmth capacities for the monkey later in adulthood.”
BackgroundWeiss, S. J., Wilson, P., Seed, M. S. J., & Paul, S. M. (2001) · Infant and Child Development · doi:10.1002/icd.236 · Cited by 44
“Research using animal models has identified numerous dysfunctions resulting from the absence or infrequency of physical contact during infancy, including repetitive, stereotyped rocking or head banging, unusual posturing, self-clinging and self-touching, withdrawal and fear of exploration, depressive affect, anxious b…”
BackgroundHong, K.-E. M. (1978) · The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child · doi:10.1080/00797308.1978.11822972 · Cited by 43
A. Grünbaum'sThe Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophical Critique
Eagle, M. N. (1986) · Philosophy of Science · doi:10.1086/289292 · Cited by 43
Nguyen, T., Kungl, M., Hoehl, S., White, L. O., & Vrtička, P. (2024) · Developmental Science · doi:10.1111/desc.13504 · Cited by 53
Physical contact in parent-infant relationship and its effect on fostering a feeling of safety
Yoshida, S., & Funato, H. (2021) · iScience · doi:10.1016/j.isci.2021.102721 · Cited by 44
“In the 1950s, Harlow conducted a series of experiments with surrogate mothers that showed how strongly somatosensory comfort attracts rhesus infants (Harlow, 1958; Harlow and Zimmermann, 1959).”
BackgroundHaugan, G. M., & McIntire, R. W. (1972) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0032089 · Cited by 42
Mahalski, P. A. (1983) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1983.tb00576.x · Cited by 42
Ahuja, N. (2012) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3967-7_5 · Cited by 41
Tactful animals: How the study of touch can inform the animal morality debate
Monsó, S., & Wrage, B. (2021) · Philosophical Psychology · doi:10.1080/09515089.2020.1859100 · Cited by 41
Solms, M., & Turnbull, O. H. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-17605-5_2 · Cited by 41
“Probably the most important of these is the line of “ethological” work on attachment, separation, and loss, running from Harlow (1958) through Winnicott (1960), Bowlby (1969), to Ainsworth (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters & Wall, 1978) and Fonagy and colleagues (e.g., Fonagy, Steele & Steele, 1991;…”
BackgroundLes signifiants formels comme un lointain écho du bébé que nous avons été
Golse, B. (2007) · Le Carnet psy · doi:10.3917/lcp.117.0039 · Cited by 41
Foster children's views of their birth parents: A review of the literature
Baker, A. J. L., Creegan, A., Quinones, A., & Rozelle, L. (2016) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.06.004 · Cited by 41
The Embodiment of Power and Communalism in Space and Bodily Contact
Schubert, T. W., Waldzus, S., & Seibt, B. (2008) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511805837.008 · Cited by 41
Effects of early parent touch on preterm infants’ heart rates and arterial oxygen saturation levels
Harrison, L. L., Leeper, J. D., & Yoon, M. (1990) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.1990.tb01942.x · Cited by 41
Sukkur IBA University, Gilal, F. G., Gilal, N. G., School of Management, H. U. O. S. A. T., Gilal, R., Sukkur IBA University, Gon, Z., School of Business, L. U., Gilal, W., Sukkur IBA University, et al. (2021) · Central European Management Journal · doi:10.7206/cemj.2658-0845.39 · Cited by 40
“The concept of attachment can be traced back to an early study by Harlow (1958), who described attachment as “a personal connection or feeling of kinship.””
BackgroundKilleen, P. R., & Glenberg, A. M. (2010) · Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews · doi:10.3819/ccbr.2010.50003 · Cited by 40
“The association of social closeness and literal warmth might be encouraged by early experiences with a care-giver, such as a mother holding her infant while feeding (Harlow, 1958; Harlow & Harlow, 1974).”
BackgroundCold or Hot? How Thermal Stimuli Are Related to Human Emotional System?
Salminen, K., Surakka, V., Raisamo, J., et al. (2013) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-41068-0_3 · Cited by 40
Identifying the Neural Correlates Underlying Social Pain: Implications for Developmental Processes
Eisenberger, N. I. (2006) · Human Development · doi:10.1159/000095580 · Cited by 42
“For example, in Harlow’s classic studies, infant rhesus monkeys, raised without the companionship of a real or a cloth mother, exhibited significant behavioral and emotional problems [Harlow, 1958; Harlow & Zimmerman, 1959].”
BackgroundLothane, Z. (1997) · International Forum of Psychoanalysis · doi:10.1080/08037069708405900 · Cited by 40
Evolution and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
McKenna, J. J. (1990) · Human Nature · doi:10.1007/bf02692150 · Cited by 40
Rommeck, I., Capitanio, J. P., Strand, S. C., & McCowan, B. (2011) · American Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1002/ajp.20953 · Cited by 39
“…for developing abnormal behaviors [Bellanca & Crockett, 2002; Bentson et al., 2005; Chamove, 1973; Chamove et al., 1973; Champoux et al., 1991; Harlow, 1958; Harlow et al., 1966; Harlow & Zimmermann, 1958; Lutz et al., 2003, 2007; Novak, 2003; Novak & Sackett, 1997, 2006; Rommeck et al.,…”
The Motivational Power of the Happy Face
Nikitin, J., & Freund, A. M. (2019) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci9010006 · Cited by 38
“Since Harlow’s [58] classic studies and the advent of attachment theory [59,60], belongingness has been acknowledged as one of the most fundamental human motives [61].”
BackgroundThielke, L. E., & Udell, M. A. R. (2019) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani10010067 · Cited by 39
“While both the Strange Situation Test (SST) and Secure Base Test have been validated for use with dogs, we chose to use the secure base test methodology (modeled after the first tests [24] designed to measure secure base and social preferences of this type) because it has several methodological advantages noted in the…”
MethodSchiml‐Webb, P. A., Terrence Deak, B., Greenlee, T. M., Maken, D. S., & Hennessy, M. B. (2005) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2005.08.022 · Cited by 39
“Keywords: Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone; Stress-induced sickness; Passive responses; Guinea pig; Maternal attachment; Sickness behavior From the time of Harlow’s [10] initial work, studies of behavioral and physiological responses during maternal separation or isolation have played a central role in our underst…”
Peers as primary attachment sources in yearling rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).
Higley, J. D., Hopkins, W. D., THOMPSON, W., Byrne, E., Hirsch, R. M., & Suomi, S. J. (1992) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/0012-1649.28.6.1163 · Cited by 39
Attentional Preference and Experience: I. Introduction
Hunt, J. (1970) · The Journal of Genetic Psychology · doi:10.1080/00221325.1970.10533940 · Cited by 39
Social and developmental experience and interspecific aggression in rats.
Johnson, R. N., DeSisto, M. J., & Koenig, A. B. (1972) · Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0032542 · Cited by 39
Mobile implementation and user evaluation of the Huggy Pajama system
Teh, J. K. S., Tsai, Z., Koh, J. T. K. V., et al. (2012) · IEEE Haptics Symposium · doi:10.1109/haptic.2012.6183833 · Cited by 38
“Pertinent related scientific evidence showed that infant monkeys grew up healthily when artificial contact comfort was given even in the total absence of their real mothers [9].”
Backgroundvan IJzendoorn, M. H., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2021) · Attachment & Human Development · doi:10.1080/14616734.2021.1918453 · Cited by 36
“The first proposition is the thesis that food is not the primary reinforcer of attachment but social interactions rooted in the innate bias of newborns to seek proximity to protective caregivers (Harlow, 1958).”
BackgroundThe effect of owner presence and scent on stress resilience in cats
Behnke, A. C., Vitale, K. R., & Udell, M. A. R. (2021) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105444 · Cited by 38
ADHD-like symptoms and attachment in internationally adopted children
Jaume, N. A., Barcons, N., Marre, D., Gasca, C. B. I., Fornieles-Deu, A., & Fumadó, V. (2012) · Attachment & Human Development · doi:10.1080/14616734.2012.691656 · Cited by 43
“Besides, the environment where these children have been raised is not always the most adequate to promote the child’s development, including unstructured families with limited economic resources and/or overcrowded institutions with great deprivations including low physical and emotional attention, lack of hygiene with…”
BackgroundLanguage, Thought and Experience.
Hebb, D., Lambert, W. E., & Tucker, G. (1971) · Modern Language Journal · doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.1971.tb02324.x · Cited by 40
The compassionate kitbag: a creative and integrative approach to compassion-focused therapy
Lucre, K., & Clapton, N. (2021) · Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice · doi:10.1111/papt.12291 · Cited by 38
Lay, D. C., Jr., Friend, T. H., Randel, R. D., et al. (1998) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/s0168-1591(97)00103-2 · Cited by 37
Brien, M., Hass, C., & Savoie, A. (2012) · Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement · doi:10.1037/a0028056 · Cited by 37
The Effects of Temperature Priming on Cooperation in the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma
Storey, S., & Workman, L. (2013) · Evolutionary Psychology · doi:10.1177/147470491301100106 · Cited by 40
Dettling, A. C., Schnell, C., Maier, C., Feldon, J., & Pryce, C. R. (2007) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.01.005 · Cited by 36
“In the pioneering work of Harlow, the focus was comparative interest in infant–parent attachment and development, based on maternal privation (Harlow, 1958).”
BackgroundEarly brain wiring: activity-dependent processes
Penn, A. A. (2001) · Schizophrenia Bulletin · doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a006880 · Cited by 37
“Harlow's famous monkey experiments from the 1950's provide the most striking example of a critical period for complex behavior (Harlow 1958).”
BackgroundFrom Liking to Loving: Patterns of Attraction in Dating Relationships
Rubin, Z. (1974) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-362950-0.50022-7 · Cited by 37
Experimental attempts to produce phenylketonuria in animals: A critical review.
Karrer, R., & Cahilly, G. M. (1965) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/h0022025 · Cited by 37
In memoriam: Harry F. Harlow (1905–1981)
Suomi, S. J., & Leroy, H. A. (1982) · American Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1002/ajp.1350020402 · Cited by 38
Schuengel, C., Oosterman, M., & Sterkenburg, P. S. (2009) · Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health · doi:10.1186/1753-2000-3-26 · Cited by 36
“Experiments with primates [1,2] and experiments of nature with orphanage children [3,4] suggest that the risks of severe disruptions of attachment are profound.”
Cognitive Precursors to Language
MacWhinney, B. (2008) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/9780262151214.003.0009 · Cited by 38
Veltkamp, M., Aarts, H., & Custers, R. (2009) · European Review of Social Psychology · doi:10.1080/10463280903388665 · Cited by 39
“…need for non-aversive interactions within already existing interpersonal relations, motivates behaviour according to the homeostatic principle (see e.g., Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Fiske, 2004; cf. the work on social contact and deprivation in the context of attachment, Bowlby, 1980; Harlow, 1958).”
BackgroundAbel, R. (2008) · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195374230.001.0001 · Cited by 36
Theorising love in sociological thought: Classical contributions to a sociology of love
Rusu, M. S. (2017) · Journal of Classical Sociology · doi:10.1177/1468795x17700645 · Cited by 44
“At the same time, the psychologist Harry Harlow (1958) attempted to penetrate experimentally into the ‘nature of love’ by studying the emotional attachment between baby monkeys (infants of rhesus macaque separated from their mothers immediately after birth) and their surrogate mothers.”
BackgroundBodford, J. E., Kwan, V. S. Y., & Sobota, D. S. (2017) · Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking · doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0500 · Cited by 38
“Similar to Harlow’s famous demonstration of nonhuman at-tachmentininfantrhesusmonkeys, 12 onemightexpectthatinthe absence of immediate friends or family, humans may also form child-like attachments to inanimate objects.”
Timeo, S., Riva, P., & Paladino, M. P. (2019) · Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research · doi:10.1111/jabr.12173 · Cited by 35
The nature of love: Harlow, Bowlby and Bettelheim on affectionless mothers
van Rosmalen, L., van der Veer, R., & van der Horst, F. C. P. (2020) · History of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/0957154x19898997 · Cited by 47
“Harlow’s findings (Harlow, 1958; Harlow and Harlow, 1962; Harlow and Zimmermann, 1959) showed, according to Bettelheim (1967: 32), that ‘activity without response can be fatal’, and the emotional unresponsiveness of the terrycloth mother ‘prevents the monkey infant from becoming a real monkey’ (p.…”
BackgroundPrescott, M. J. (2010) · Advances in science and research · doi:10.5194/asr-5-11-2010 · Cited by 37
Apparatus conceptualization for psychopathological research inmonkeys
Suomi, S. J., & Harlow, H. F. (1969) · Behavior Research Methods · doi:10.3758/bf03209902 · Cited by 35
Self-citationSocial Development in Rhesus Monkeys: Consideration of Individual Differences
Suomi, S. J. (1983) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-3784-3_5 · Cited by 36
Parental Investment and Parent‐Offspring Conflict
Salmon, C. A. (2015) · doi:10.1002/9781119125563.evpsych121 · Cited by 39
Soft assurance: Coping with uncertainty through haptic sensations
van Horen, F., & Mussweiler, T. (2014) · Journal of Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2014.04.008 · Cited by 36
Social Bonding: Affiliation Motivation and Intimacy Motivation
Hofer, J., & Hagemeyer, B. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-65094-4_7 · Cited by 35
The importance of early life touch for psychosocial and moral development
Narvaez, D. F., Wang, L., Cheng, A. S., Gleason, T. R., Woodbury, R. D., Kurth, A. M., & Lefever, J. B. (2019) · Psicologia Reflexão e Crítica · doi:10.1186/s41155-019-0129-0 · Cited by 44
“For example, Harlow (1958) found that rhesus monkeys, isolated only from touch, developed aberrant social skills.”
BackgroundThe Undisordered Personality: Normative Assumptions Underlying Personality Disorder Diagnoses
Leising, D., Rogers, K., & Ostner, J. (2009) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0017139 · Cited by 34
“As grown-ups, these deprived monkeys showed high levels of fear and inferior parental skills (Harlow, 1958, 1971).”
BackgroundPrevide, E. P., & Valsecchi, P. (2014) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-407818-5.00006-1 · Cited by 36
The neuroevolutionary and neuroaffective psychobiology of the prosocial brain
Panksepp, J. (2012) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198568308.013.0012 · Cited by 34
Variation in Infant Experience Associated with Alternative Family Roles
Pedersen, F. A., Cain, R. L., Zaslow, M. J., et al. (1982) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-4172-7_7 · Cited by 35
Chen, Y.-S. A. (2020) · Journal of Product & Brand Management · doi:10.1108/jpbm-07-2019-2466 · Cited by 35
Mobbs, E. J., Mobbs, G. A., & Mobbs, A. E. D. (2015) · Acta Paediatrica · doi:10.1111/apa.13034 · Cited by 34
The marmoset as a model for the study of primate parental behavior
Saito, A. (2015) · Neuroscience Research · doi:10.1016/j.neures.2014.12.011 · Cited by 36
Moral Neuroeducation from Early Life Through the Lifespan
Narvaez, D. F. (2011) · Neuroethics · doi:10.1007/s12152-011-9117-5 · Cited by 34
“Neglected mammals end up with erratic systems that are easily thrown off kilter during everyday events, [12], impinging on capabilities for sociality [51].”
BackgroundThielke, L. E., Rosenlicht, G., Saturn, S. R., & Udell, M. A. R. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01699 · Cited by 34
“Given that we were specifically interested in the secure base effect, we utilized a modified version of the test originally developed by Harlow (1958) designed to study the secure base effect in infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).”
MethodMary D. Salter ainsworth: Tribute and portrait
Main, M. (1999) · Psychoanalytic Inquiry · doi:10.1080/07351699909534273 · Cited by 34
RELATIONS BETWEEN BEHAVIOR MANIFESTATIONS IN THE HUMAN NEONATE1
Bell, R. Q. (1960) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1960.tb05800.x · Cited by 34
The Development of Social Behavior in the Human Infant
Rheingold, H. L. (1966) · Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development · doi:10.2307/1165642 · Cited by 34
“Harlow (1962), in reporting his playroom and playpen studies of the infant rhesus, gave details of the infant's initiation of social contacts with other infants.”
BackgroundInfluentialON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATTACHMENT AND SEPARATION PROCESSES IN INFANCY
Hofer, M. A. (1983) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-558702-0.50013-3 · Cited by 34
Foa, U. G., & Foa, E. B. (1972) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-015867-9.50017-4 · Cited by 34
How Do People Participate in Social Network Sites After Crises? A Self-Determination Perspective
Wang, X. (2014) · Social Science Computer Review · doi:10.1177/0894439314525116 · Cited by 34
“…their own actions (the degree to which need for autonomy is satisfied; deCharms, 1968); perceived relatedness refers to the degree to which people feel a sense of mutual respect and care with each other (the degree to which need for relatedness is satisfied; Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Harlow, 1958).”
BackgroundHall, F. S., & Perona, M. T. G. (2012) · Physiology & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.05.014 · Cited by 34
“fer a cuddly cloth surrogate mother without food over a wire surrogate mother that provided food [65,66].”
Sieben Arten der Lernmotivation
Urhahne, D. (2008) · Psychologische Rundschau · doi:10.1026/0012-1924.59.3.150 · Cited by 51
Gaston, E. T. (1995) · Norsk Tidsskrift for Musikkterapi · doi:10.1080/08098139509477852 · Cited by 33
Attachment, ethology and adult psychotherapy
Sable, P. (2004) · Attachment & Human Development · doi:10.1080/14616730410001663498 · Cited by 38
Close Relationships across the Lifespan: A Symposium
Laursen, B. P. (1997) · International Journal of Behavioral Development · doi:10.1080/016502597384596 · Cited by 34
“Biologists and evolutionary psychologists have also concluded that personal relationships are critical determinants of socialisation (Harlow, 1958; Trivers, 1985).”
BackgroundSafety in Numbers: Why the Mere Physical Presence of Others Affects Risk‐taking Behaviors
Chou, E. Y., & Nordgren, L. F. (2016) · Journal of Behavioral Decision Making · doi:10.1002/bdm.1959 · Cited by 40
Animal Model of Depression, I. Review of Evidence: Implications for Research
McKinney, W. T., & Bunney, W. E. (1979) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-023725-1.50013-6 · Cited by 33
The Functional Discrimination of Attachment and Affiliation
Sheldon, A. E. R., & West, M. (1989) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.155.1.18 · Cited by 32
“Influenced by the findings of ethologists such as Lorenz (1931) and Harlow (1958), Bowlby (1969/82) proposed that attachment is a primary, biologically determined behavioural system in many species, including man, with the function of protecting the altricial animal from danger.”
BackgroundCURIOSITY AND THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP
Saxe, R. M., & Stollak, G. E. (1971) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1971.tb03645.x · Cited by 33
Generalized imitative affection: Relationship to prior kinds of imitation training
Acker, L. E., Acker, M. A., & Pearson, D. (1973) · Journal of Experimental Child Psychology · doi:10.1016/0022-0965(73)90067-2 · Cited by 32
Hornstra, L., Stroet, K., Rubie-Davies, C. M., & Flint, A. (2023) · Educational Psychology Review · doi:10.1007/s10648-023-09788-4 · Cited by 43
“to connect with and be accepted by others, and to belong (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Bowlby, 1979; Harlow, 1958; Ryan, 1995).”
BackgroundKnowing hands converse with an expressive body – An experience of osteopathic touch
Consedine, S., Standen, C., & Niven, E. (2015) · International journal of osteopathic medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ijosm.2015.06.002 · Cited by 37
“However, a read through some of this early research reveals a consistent argument that there is a dearth of scientific research into the meaning, use and potential benefits of touch and that further research is warranted (Frank, 1957; Harlow, 1958).”
BackgroundInfluentialLiao, S. M. (2012) · Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy · doi:10.1080/13698230.2012.679422 · Cited by 32
“…monkeys (Cross and Harlow 1965); ‘surrogate rearing,’ where infant monkeys were partially isolated, but had a clothcovered inanimate surrogate mother (Harlow 1958); ‘peer rearing,’ where infant monkeys were reared with like-aged peers but did not have contact or experience with an adult mother…”
BackgroundKigar, S. L., & Auger, A. P. (2013) · Journal of Neuroendocrinology · doi:10.1111/jne.12074 · Cited by 36
Developmental psychopathology and public health: Past, present, and future
Costello, E. J., & Angold, A. C. (2000) · Development and Psychopathology · doi:10.1017/s095457940000403x · Cited by 32
“…toto statements about the limits of normality and the various types of abnormality (Bowl- prevention that blurred the boundaries between normal development and pathology, be-by, 1958, 1973; Harlow, 1958; Lorenz, 1965). ing inextricably intertwined with education and child rearing in general.”
Backgroundvan IJzendoorn, M. H., & Tavecchio, L. W. C. (1987) · Advances in psychology · doi:10.1016/s0166-4115(08)61071-7 · Cited by 34
“The famous experiments of Harlow (1958; 1961) with separated nonhuman primates demonstrated that a baby monkey feit more attached to a softcovered "artificial mother" that provided no feeding, than to a bare "wire mother" that did.”
BackgroundRelational sexuality: An understanding of low sexual desire
Talmadge, L. D., & Talmadge, W. C. (1986) · Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy · doi:10.1080/00926238608415390 · Cited by 32
SURROGATE REHABILITATION OF MONKEYS REARED IN TOTAL SOCIAL ISOLATION
Suomi, S. J. (1973) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1973.tb01866.x · Cited by 32
Significance of Touch for Perceptions of Parenting and Psychological Adjustment among Adolescents
Pearce, C. M., Martin, G., & Wood, K. (1995) · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/00004583-199502000-00011 · Cited by 32
Auerbach, J. (1993) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10138-002 · Cited by 34
“It begins with Bowlby's (1958, 1973, 1980, 1982) articulation of attachment theory and with empirical studies of attachment behavior in rhesus monkeys (Harlow, 1958) and THE ORIGINS OF NARCISSISM 63 in humans (Ainsworth et al., 1978).”
BackgroundMethodShould we screen preschoolers?
Reynolds, C. R. (1979) · Contemporary Educational Psychology · doi:10.1016/0361-476x(79)90073-0 · Cited by 32
An interactional approach to sexual dysfunctions
Verhulst, J., & Heiman, J. R. (1979) · American Journal of Family Therapy · doi:10.1080/01926187908250334 · Cited by 32
To have and to hold: Effects of physical contact on infants and their caregivers
Bigelow, A. E., & Williams, L. R. (2020) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101494 · Cited by 32
Caregiver–child proximity as a dimension of early experience
Barnett, W., Hansen, C. L., Bailes, L. G., & Humphreys, K. L. (2022) · Development and Psychopathology · doi:10.1017/s0954579421001644 · Cited by 40
“Seminal work by Harlow (1958) found that caregivers are necessary not only for the provision of sustenance, but also for providing physical support and nurtur-ance to infants.”
BackgroundMain, M. (1979) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x00064992 · Cited by 30
Beyond Adoption Intention: Online Communities and Member Motivation to Contribute Longitudinally
Wang, X., & Clay, P. F. (2012) · Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce · doi:10.1080/10919392.2012.696928 · Cited by 31
“Since the need for relatedness concerns establishing and maintaining a sense of mutual respect and care with each other (Baumeister and Leary, 1995; Harlow, 1958), frequent and timely feedback from other participants probably satisfy contributors’ needs for relatedness, especially when they are…”
BackgroundPsychiatry, religion, positive emotions and spirituality
Vaillant, G. E. (2013) · Asian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2013.08.073 · Cited by 38
“Primate altruistic attachment (Harlow, 1958; Bowlby, 1979; Zubietta et al., 2003) and primate empathy via spindle cells (Allman et al.”
BackgroundAllen, B. (2016) · Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.1080/23794925.2016.1172945 · Cited by 31
“Readers will likely recall the formative work of Harry Harlow (1958) with rhesus monkeys, demonstrating that the availability of a caregiver who provides contact comfort and felt security is more crucial to emotional well-being than a caregiver who provides oral stimulation (note the direct test of attachment versus p…”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Harlow, H. F.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin System (US)
- Corresponding author
- Harlow, Harry F.
- Venue
- American Psychologist
- Published
- 1958-12
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 673-685
- ISSN
- 0003-066X (ISSN-L)
- 1935-990X
- OpenAlex
- W2076059783
- Cited by
- 2,022
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 58 · 2025: 82 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 61 · 2022: 61 · 2021: 62 · 2020: 58 · 2019: 60 · 2018: 114 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 68 · 2015: 88 · 2014: 76 · 2013: 68 · 2012: 80
- FWCI
- 39.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Psychologist (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › General Psychology › Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology
- Keywords
- Harry Harlow, rhesus monkeys, mother-infant bond, nature of love, animal sentience, animal experimentation, attachment
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
