Let's start with some basic reasons we think we love our mothers. A lot of Love theorist, used to believe it is primarily due to the strong attachments we had as kids because mothers were our source of food and nutrition. But is this true ?? Welcome aboard
I invite you to a controversial experiment conducted in the 1960s by Harry Harlow from University of Wisconsin Madison.
(side note: It strikes me, the level of unethical experiments that were allowed to take place in/before the 90s) but anyway!
(side note: It strikes me, the level of unethical experiments that were allowed to take place in/before the 90s) but anyway!
The findings from Harlow's experiment were rather bizarre. He took baby monkeys from their mothers and isolated them in cages. He put two mother figures, one was a very scary skeletal robot but with nozzle that provides food and 2nd is a soft comforting mother figure without food 
He noticed the monkey spent an average of 17 hours daily on soft comforting mother and less than an hour on the skeletal nursing mother. The bond, attachment or love is not based on the food. Rather, it is comfort and peace.
But the experiment went further..
But the experiment went further..
After the baby monkeys have been accustomed to their environments, and regularly go to the scary robot for food. He then decide to scare the baby monkey. Interestingly, the monkey didn't go to the feeding mother, but ran to the comforting nonfeeding mother. This is surprising.
You'd expect the monkey to go to the mother that feeds it, that nourishes it. But NO, it decide to run to the idle doll. This shows again that food source isn't really the reason for bond. Warmth and comfort is far more the reason for attachment than food & nourishment.
If you think this is the end, then your certainly new to #FunFacts series.
Now I'll invite you to another controversial and even more bizarre experiment.
What happens if the source of comfort now decides to reject the infant?
Harlow then went ahead with another experiment.
Now I'll invite you to another controversial and even more bizarre experiment.
What happens if the source of comfort now decides to reject the infant?
Harlow then went ahead with another experiment.
This time around, he made the comforting mother figure, to push away the monkey (by applying air blower to blow away the monkey when approaching the mother).
The result was staggering, he found out that the monkey now becomes EVEN MORE attached to the mother than before.
The result was staggering, he found out that the monkey now becomes EVEN MORE attached to the mother than before.
This is paradoxical, how can efforts to stop the bond/love, actually increase the bond/love?
Eckhard Hess, another scientist baffled just like we are here, decided to conduct another experiment. This time, he used electric shocks to disengage baby duck 🐥 from the mothers 🦆.
Eckhard Hess, another scientist baffled just like we are here, decided to conduct another experiment. This time, he used electric shocks to disengage baby duck 🐥 from the mothers 🦆.
Interestingly, this only increased the bond between the ducklings and the mother. They followed her even more closely and are more attached to her than without the electric shock.
This lead me to hypothesise that, when daughters are separated from their comforting mothers (air blower = boarding school) the bond and love increases. I'll hold this postulate until a better explanation is presented to me. 🙂
I think we'll stop here today, till next time. n/n
I think we'll stop here today, till next time. n/n
In case you're new to the Fun Facts threads, below are previous threads
I hope you'll enjoy them.
I hope you'll enjoy them.
