Question

Taken together, the Harlow experiments on Macaque monkeys, case studies of isolated or so-called "feral" children, and clinical research on child neglect suggest that

A. children who are not nurtured, aren't socialized.
B. all people need love, and love is all you need.
C. humans are a complex combination of instinct and learned behavior.
D. heredity is much more important, in the long term, for explaining human behavior as compared to environmental factors.
E. humans require socialization.
F. human instincts must take over when socialization fails or is inadequate.

Answer 1

• ANSWER-humans require socialization
• These cases of feral children show that extreme isolation or, to put it another way, lack of socialization deprives children of the obvious and not-so-obvious qualities that make them human and in other respects retards their social, cognitive, and emotional development.
• The Harlows studied rhesus monkeys that had been removed from their mothers at birth; some were raised in complete isolation, while others were given fake mothers made of cloth and wire with which to cuddle.
• Neither group developed normally, although the monkeys cuddling with the fake mothers fared somewhat better than those that were totally isolated. In general, the monkeys were not able to interact later with other monkeys, and female infants abused their young when they became mothers.
• The longer their isolation, the more the monkeys’ development suffered. By showing the dire effects of social isolation, the Harlows’ experiment reinforced the significance of social interaction for normal development.
• Combined with the tragic examples of feral children, their experiments remind us of the critical importance of socialization and social interaction for human society.