As an A-level Psychology student, you are no doubt familiar with the research conducted in the 1950s and 1960s by Harry Harlow on Rhesus macaque monkeys. You may have also recently seen images of ‘Punch’, the infant Japanese macaque monkey with a soft toy monkey (pictured below). Putting aside the wider debate around animals in captivity, this case gives us a rare insight into the research on the Attachment topic.

Abandoned by his mother shortly after birth, Punch was given a stuffed orangutan toy by zookeepers after earlier attempts using rolled towels proved insufficient. Videos of him clutching the toy while being chased and harassed by older monkeys in the enclosure have been viewed millions of times, prompting widespread public concern.

Primatology expert Alison Behie of the Australian National University, speaking to the Guardian, explained that maternal abandonment, while unusual, can occur when mothers are young and inexperienced (as was the case with Punch's first-time mother) or when environmental stressors such as extreme heat lead a mother to prioritise her own survival over that of a potentially vulnerable infant.

Zookeeper Kosuke Shikano noted that the stuffed toy was introduced partly because infant macaques need something to physically cling to immediately after birth, both to build muscle strength and to gain a sense of security. The social difficulties Punch has faced are also significant. Without his mother to model appropriate submissive behaviours within the troop's hierarchy, Behie warned that Punch may struggle to integrate socially as an adult.

The slightly happier news in this story is that more recent footage shows Punch beginning to groom other monkeys in his enclosure, which is a critical social behaviour in macaques and a sign that healthy attachment bonds may still be forming. This recent development is similar to findings from Harlow’s later work, where he found that peer attachment could compensate for maternal deprivation, allowing them to recover some social behaviours.

Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/wo... (accessed 27.2.26)

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS!

Studies on macaques indicate that attachment between mother and infant is most intense during the first three months, which is a period of high dependency for warmth, security, and nutrition.

1. Which of these definitions is the best description of the ‘critical period’

A) A time when children learn to attach through negative and positive reinforcement

B) A biologically determined window early in development, up to around two and a half years of age, during which attachment must form, or the consequences may be inevitable and irreversible

C) The period of time during which a baby is fully dependent on its mother for food and warmth, typically the first six months of life

D) A time when children use social releasers to attach to their primary caregiver

2. Which of these definitions is the best description of ‘maternal deprivation’

A) When a child hasn’t formed an attachment with anyone

B) Loss of maternal care during the critical period, which Bowlby argued would lead to inevitable and irreversible consequences

C) Something which can lead to affectionless psychopathy

D) A theory proposed by Bowlby which said attachment is adaptive

3. What did Harlow find was the most important factor in forming an attachment? Explain how this challenged the previous widely held view about why attachment forms.

4. Does the case of Punch support, or go against Harlow’s findings? Justify your answer with at least one reason outlined in this blog.'

5. Harlow’s research was heavily criticised for ethical issues. Explain one ethical issue in Harlow’s work and explain why you could argue that the case of Punch is different.