For years researchers thought the bond that formed between a child and caregiver was due to the caregiver's physical nourishment of the child. Research by Harry Harlow indicates __________

A) physical nourishment is the glue that bonds child and caregiver.
B) contact comfort is the glue that bonds child and caregiver.
C) emotional nourishment is the glue that bonds child and caregiver.
D) there is no one definable component that leads to attachment.

Question

yashna ramcharan · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : B, Explanation :  Harry Harlow's research with monkeys showed that physical nourishment alone was not enough to form a strong attachment bond. Monkeys who had access to both a wire mother (with a bottle for nourishment) and a soft cloth mother (with no milk) spent more time clinging to the cloth mother, indicating that contact comfort was a key factor in attachment. Therefore, option B is the correct choice. Option A is incorrect as physical nourishment alone was not enough to form an attachment bond according to Harlow's research. Option C is not supported by Harlow's research, although emotional nourishment may be a component in attachment. Option D is not a clear answer as Harlow's research did identify a specific component (contact comfort) that was important in attachment formation.

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