【Thebabymonkeyismuchmoredevelopedatbirththanthehumanbaby.Almostfromthemomentitisbornthebabymonkeycanmovearoundandholdtightlytoitsmother.Duringthefirstfewdaysofitslifethebabywillapproachandhold】
Thebabymonkeyismuchmoredevelopedatbirththanthehumanbaby.Almostfromthemomentitisbornthebabymonkeycanmovearoundandholdtightlytoitsmother.Duringthefirstfewdaysofitslifethebabywillapproachandholdontoalmostanylargewarmandsoftobjectinitsenvironmentparticularlyifthatobjectalsogivesitmilk.Afteraweekormhoweverthebabymonkeybeginstoavoidnewcomersandfocusesitsattentionson“mother"一therealmotherorthemother-substitute(母亲替代树).
Duringthefirsttwoweeksofitslifewarmthisperhapsthemostimportantpsychological(心理的)thingthatamonkeymotherhastogivetoitsbaby.TheHarlowsacouplewhoarebothpsychologistsdiscoveredthisfactbyofferingbabymonkeysachoiceoftwotypesofmother-substitutes一onecoveredwithcloth4ndonemadeofbarewire.Ifthetwoartificialmotherswereboththesametemperaturethelittlemonkeysalwayspreferredtheclothmother.Howeverifthewiremodelwasheatedwhiletheclothmodelwascoolforthefirsttwoweeksafterbirththebabymonkeyspickedthewarmwiremother-substitutesastheirfuvorites.Thereaftertheyswitchedandspentmostoftheirtimeonthemwcomfortableclothmother.
Whyisclothpreferabletobarewire?SomethingthattheHarlowscalledcontact(接級)comfortseemstobetheanswerandamostpowerfulinfluenceitis.Babymonkeysspendmuchoftheirtimerubbingagainsttheirmothers'skinsputtingthemselvesinasclosecontactwiththeparentastheycan.Whenevertheyounganimalisfrighteneddisturbedorannoyedittypicallyrushestoitsmotherandrubsitselfagainstherbody.Wiredoesn't“rub"aswellasdoessoftcloth.Prolonged(长时间的)“contactcomfort"withaclothmotherappearstogivethebabiesconfidenceandismuchmorerewardingtothemthaniscitherwarmthormilk.
AccordingtotheHarlowsthebasicqualityofbaby’sloveforitsmotheristrust.Ifthebabyisputintoanunfamiliarplayroomwithoutitsmotherthebabyignoresthetoysnonutterhowinterestingtheymightbe.Itscreamsinterrorandcurlsupintoafurrylittleball.Ifitsclothmotheritnowintroducedintotheplayroomthebabyrushedtoitandholdsontoitfordearlife.Afterafewminutesofcontactcomfortitobviouslybeginstofeelmoresecure.itthenclimbsdownfromthemother-sub