Harlow's Monkey Experiment

?
  • Created by: jessmitch
  • Created on: 21-09-13 15:55

Harlow's Monkey Experiment

Advantages

  • Gives us the nearest possible answer to human behaviour by using monkeys.
  • It is appropriate to use monkey's as it is far more unethical to take a newborn human baby away from its mother to be used in a study.
  • The monkey's were orphaned so they did not know their real mother anyway.
  • Can help us to understand some human behaviour as monkeys are the closest animal (psychologically) to humans.

Disadvantages

  • Animals cannot decide their own fate so it is unethical.
  • Monkey is taken away from the mother and not given a chance of normal life.
  • Animals cannot make their own choices.
  • Not a 100% accurate result of human behaviour.
  • Ethical guidelines may not have been met.

Evaluation

Overall, the experiment itself was quite unethical as it used newborn or very young baby monkeys that had not been given a chance of a normal life. Animals cannot make their own decisions so from that point of view is wrong too. However, ethical guidelines will of had to be met and may not have been. The study does not give us an accurate result as monkeys are not identical to humans, all be it they are very similar, The study cannot be generalised to all species,

Comments

simrxn.atwal

Report

This has helped me, thanks!

Similar Psychology resources:

See all Psychology resources »See all Attachment resources »