Baby monkey Punch revives debate over famous experiment
A viral video of a baby monkey hugging a plush toy has revived interest in a famous psychology experiment that reshaped how scientists understand emotional bonds, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The young macaque, named Punch, lives at Ichikawa City Zoo in Japan. After being abandoned by his mother and rejected by the rest of his troop, zookeepers gave him an orangutan plush toy for comfort. Videos showing Punch clinging tightly to the toy have spread widely online.
The scenes closely resemble the results of a well-known experiment carried out in the 1950s by American psychologist Harry Harlow.
Harlow studied how young monkeys form attachments. In his research, newborn rhesus monkeys were separated from their mothers and placed in cages with 2 artificial substitutes. One was a wire structure shaped like a mother monkey that could provide food and drink. The other was a soft doll covered in cloth that offered comfort but no nourishment.
At the time, many scientists believed babies formed attachments mainly to whoever met their basic needs such as feeding. Harlow’s experiment challenged that view.
Despite the wire figure providing food and drink, the baby monkeys spent far more time clinging to the soft cloth figure. The animals chose comfort and warmth rather than the source of food.
The results became a foundation for attachment theory, which holds that strong emotional bonds with caregivers are essential for healthy development. According to the theory, children need attention, warmth and care to form secure attachments.
Punch’s situation was not part of a study, but it appears to echo Harlow’s findings. Like the monkeys in the experiment, the young macaque formed a bond with a soft object that offered comfort rather than food.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Monkey Punch triggered a sell out at IKEA stores.
