Psychology Experiment on Attachment in Monkeys

Questions and Answers

What was the aim of the experiment?

To find out whether provision of food or contact comfort is more important in the formation of infant-mother attachment.

How many participants were involved in the study?

Eight newborn rhesus monkeys.

What characterized Group 1 in the experiment?

Four monkeys isolated in cages where a cloth mother surrogate gave food and a wire surrogate did not.

What characterized Group 2 in the experiment?

Four monkeys isolated in cages where a wire mother surrogate gave food and a cloth surrogate did not. Signup and view all the answers

What was the independent variable (IV) in the study?

Provision of food by either cloth or wire mother. Signup and view all the answers

What was the dependent variable (DV) in the study?

Amount of contact time spent with each mother. Signup and view all the answers

What were the results of the experiment?

All monkeys, in Group 1 and Group 2, spent far more time with the cloth surrogate over the wire surrogate, regardless of which provided food. Signup and view all the answers

What was the conclusion of the study?

Contact comfort is more important than feeding in the formation of infant-mother attachment in rhesus monkeys. Signup and view all the answers

What is a generalization from the study's results?

Contact comfort is likely to be a crucial factor in human infant-caregiver attachment. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Aim of the Experiment

Investigated the significance of food provision versus contact comfort in forming attachments between infants and mothers.

Participants

Involved eight newborn rhesus monkeys who were isolated from their mothers immediately after birth, ensuring a controlled environment for the study.

Group 1

Consisted of four monkeys in cages with a cloth mother surrogate that provided food, while a wire mother surrogate did not offer any food.

Group 2

Comprised four monkeys in cages, where a wire mother surrogate provided food and the cloth surrogate did not offer any food.

Independent Variable (IV)

The type of mother surrogate providing food: either the cloth or wire mother.

Dependent Variable (DV)

Measured the amount of time spent by the monkeys in contact with each surrogate mother.

Results

Both groups of monkeys spent significantly more time with the cloth mother surrogate compared to the wire mother surrogate, indicating a preference for contact comfort over food provision.

Conclusion

The findings highlighted that contact comfort plays a more crucial role than feeding in the development of infant-mother attachments among rhesus monkeys.

Generalisation

The results suggest that contact comfort may also be an essential factor in forming attachment bonds between human infants and their caregivers.

Description

This quiz focuses on the famous experiment investigating the role of food provision and contact comfort in forming attachments between infant monkeys and their surrogates. It examines the significance of different types of mother surrogates on the behavior of newborn rhesus monkeys. Test your knowledge on the experimental design, results, and implications of this pivotal study in psychology.