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Harry Israel—he would not have his well-known surname until later on—was born on of all days—considering his personality—on Halloween evening, October 31st, 1905, at his home in Fairfield, Iowa. He was of course fascinated with science and experimenting even at a young age—he owned a child’s porcelain potty when he was a child and he would experiment with dropping a large stone to see what would happen. Harry would recount in his later years that he hit “rock bottom”—he was a man who knew no bounds in effortless puns and unorthodox humor, especially given his astounding-unorthodox theories that went totally against the then current dogma of the theory known as behaviorism (Blum 9).
Harry Harlow’s parents, Alonzo Harlow Israel and Mable Rock Israel were good parents who wanted a better future for their kids. Alonzo Harlow, Harlow was just like him in personality, was a misfit—(as some described him to be). Alonzo Harlow wanted to be a doctor; however, his goals were set aside as he met his true love, Mable Israel. Harlow most certainly followed his dads’ high ambitions by acquiring a PhD in Psychology; indeed, he acquired some of his phenotype from his dad—namely, high ambition. Harries life was one that was filled with poverty, as his parents could not afford much of anything due to the fact that they did not complete college and had meager jobs. However, they instilled in their kids a sense of achieving a higher standard for themselves—thus, self-actualization was what they wanted their kids to achieve. Harry learned affection through his parents—they were loving and caring parents whom, even though they did not have a lot of money, would provide for their kids emotionally. However, Harries brother, Delmer, would fall ill due...
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...s theory will continue to influence as long as we exist, it is also ever-present in the annals of psychology, psychiatry, and child development.
Works Cited
Blum, Deborah. Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection. New York, Persues Publishing, 2002. Print.
Suomi, Stephen J., Frank C. P. Van der Horst, and René Van der Veer. Rigorous Experiments On Monkey Love: An Account of Harry F. Harlow’s Role In The History Of Attachment Theory. Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science 42.4 (2008): 354-369. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.
Van der Horst, Frank C. P., Helen A. LeRoy, and René Van der Veer. When Strangers Meet”: John Bowlby And Harry Harlow On Attachment Behavior. Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science 42.4 (2008): 370-388. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.
During the twentieth century, Harry Harlow performed one of the most controversial experiments that led to a scientific breakthrough concerning the parent-child relationship. It paved the way for understanding terms such as secure, insecure, ambivalent, and disorganized relationships (Bernstein, 2014, 364). During the course of this study, Harlow separated baby monkeys from their birth mothers and isolated them in frightening environments. According to the video “H.H. Overview”, this proved the monkey’s preference for a comforting mother versus a nutritional one. However, this raises the question: can his experiments be deemed ethical, or did his scientific inquiry overstep boundaries?
Karen, R., (1998). Becoming Attached: First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to Love. New York: Oxford Press.
Fox (1995) poses that it is possible that early childhood attachment does not influence adults’ minds relative to attachment. He also is hesitant to agree that parental sensitivity is a valuable aspect that is potentially “transmitted” to offspring.
Relationships are the building block for personality and are significant in children’s ability to grow into substantial individuals who can thrive in an often harsh world. Constructing lasting and fulfilling relationships is an integral part to development as the interpersonal bonds forged are not only highly sought after but also set the ground work for all upcoming expressive interactions. Relationships and attachment go hand in hand as attachment is the strong and lasting linkage established between a child and his or her caregiver. Moreover, attachment significantly influences a large capacity of ones make up as it these first relationships that teaches morals, builds self-esteem, and develops a support system. The pioneers of Attachment Theory realized early on that human beings are not solely influenced by drives but that the earliest bonds formed by children with their caregivers greatly impact their ability to forge lasting relationships later in life. John Bowlby was first to introduce this theory to the masses in the 1950’s, and later Mary Ainsworth conducted further research to expand on Bowlby’s theory which proclaims that attachment is a “lasting psychological connectedness between human beings” (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194). The attachment bond theory by both Bowlby and Ainsworth focuses on the significance of the relationship between babies and their caretakers which research has suggested is accountable for influencing impending interactions, firming or injuring our capabilities to concentrate, being aware of our emotional states, self-soothing capabilities, and the capacity to be resilient in the face of hardship. Additionally, this research has provided a framework for assisting in describing these att...
Admittedly, many psychologists define attachment as an enduring, affectionate bond that one person forms between himself and another person throughout life. Mary Ainsworth provided the most famous research: strange situation, offering explanations of individual differences in attachment. However, in this Adult Attachment Style questionnaire that I took, I found many factors relevant to attachment as defined in the textbook. For example, in the textbook, it defines attachment based on Ainsworth research, the strange situation by observing attachment forms between mother and infants. They are described in four attachment styles: securely attached, insecure avoidant, insecure resistant, and insecure disorganized.
Acknowledging, the importance of attachment has been in helpful development of couples therapy, in particular to Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), “where it helps explain how even healthy adults need to depend on each other,” (Nichols, 2013, p. 62). EFT is an empirically validated experiential therapy model that works with emotion to create change. EFT therapists use “attachment theory to deconstruct the familiar dynamic in which one partner criticizes and complains while the other gets defensive and withdraws,” (Nichols, 2013, p.63). Research has demonstrated the importance of attachment in individuals. It is not solely a childhood trait attachment is a trait that individuals carry for the rest of their lives. Nonetheless, it is important to work on the attachments with families and couples in order to alleviate some of the negative interactions that arise from feeling a fear of losing the attachment with
Cassidy, J., & Shaver, P.R. (1999). Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications. New York: The Guilford Press.
In conclusion, mother-infant attachment paves the way for adult social relationships as supported by Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation experiment and its follow-up, Bowlby’s 44 Thieves study, and Henry Harlow’s classic experiment with the monkeys. Furthermore, strong secure attachments breed healthy social relationships, while insecure attachments lead to difficult social and emotional issues. The best way to prevent insecure attachments is by creating that strong mother-infant bond in the first year of life. It is crucial for potential parents to be prepared emotionally, economically, and socially for a new infant. As the acorn has the potential to become an oak with the right conditions and environment, an infant also has the potential to become a successful adult with a supportive, healthy, environment.
Vicedo, M. (2009). Mothers, machines, and morals: Harry Harlow's work on primate love from lab to legend. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 45(3), 193-218. doi:10.1002/jhbs.20378
Hazan, C., Gur-Yaish, N., & Campa, M. (2003). What does it mean to be attached? In W. S. Rholes & J. A. Simpson (Eds.) Adult Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications, (pp. 55 – 85). New York: Guilford.
Rendon, M. (2008). Psychoanalysis, a bridge between attachment research and neurobiology. The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 68(2), 148-155.
Psychologist, Mary Ainsworth expanded upon Bowlby's original work. She conducted a study labelled the ‘Strange Situation’. In the study, based upon the children’s reactions, Ainsworth described three major styles of attachment: secure attachment, ambivalent-insecure attachment, and avoidant-insecure attachment. Work by Stroufe and Waters in 1977, further supported Ainsworth's attachment styles and have indicated that attachment styles also have an impact on behaviours later in life (Birns, 1999, p. 13). Researchers have found strengths in attachment patterns established early in life can lead to a number of outcomes. For example, children who are securely attached as infants tend to develop stronger self-esteem and better self-reliance as they grow older. These children also tend to be more independent, perform better in school, have successful social relationships, and experience less depression and anxiety (Birns, 1999, p. 13).
John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth studied imprinting and developed the attachment theory. He rejected ...
“Attachment is as essential for the child’s psychological well-being as food is for physical health,” claimed Bowlby, B (2001, p.54). Bowlby claimed in this statement that attachment is a necessary thing that a child needs in order to develop healthily. There is evidence from other theorists who support Bowlby’s theory of attachment, such as Harlow, whose approach is based upon a caregiver’s sensitivity and attachment. Ainsworth is another theorist whose research supports Bowlby’s theory of attachment. In her strange situation study, she tested for the attachment types and what effects they had on a child’s behaviour.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martins,. 349. The. “Psychological Theories About the Dynamics of Love (I).” 01 Mar. 2005 http://psychology.about.com/library/weekly/aa022000a.htm Richmond, Raymond Lloyd.