Which of the following conclusions is consistent with Harlow's research on infant monkeys?

• A. Monkeys show no distress when separated from their surrogate mothers.
• B. Infant monkeys prefer comfort and physical contact over food when seeking attachment.
• C. Attachment in monkeys is solely based on the provision of food.
• D. Social isolation has little to no effect on the emotional development of monkeys.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of Harlow's research, which involved infant monkeys and their attachment behaviors to surrogate mothers made of wire or cloth.
2. Step 2: Recall that Harlow's experiments tested whether infant monkeys preferred a surrogate mother that provided food (wire mother) or one that provided comfort and physical contact (cloth mother).
3. Step 3: Recognize that the key finding was that infant monkeys spent more time clinging to the cloth mother, indicating a preference for comfort and physical contact over just food.
4. Step 4: Note that this research challenged the idea that attachment is solely based on the provision of food, showing that emotional comfort plays a crucial role.
5. Step 5: Understand that social isolation in monkeys led to severe emotional and social deficits, so the conclusion that social isolation has little effect is inconsistent with Harlow's findings.