Cyrus Yip's Development Scrapbook

Harry Harlow’s experiment revealed the importance of attachment at younger ages. In his experiment, he took infant monkeys away from their mothers and provided them with two surrogate mothers. One made of wire provided a food source, while the other was made of soft cloth. Surprisingly, the results of the experiment showed that the infant preferred the soft mother most of the time, highlighting the impact of the physical contact and emotional security.

As a child, I was most attached to my younger sister. Our two year age difference may be a great contributor to our close relationship. We would regularly play and sing together.

Imprinting is the phenomenon where animals form a strong bond with the first animal they see after being born. This theory supports the attachment with my sister as we both met each other when we were very young.

An object I have formed attachments with is the small, striped white and blue blanket I had as a child. It was small but provided comfort with its soft and warm texture.

The lack of attachment during early childhood can lead to insecure attachment, a lack of trust and secure base. This tends to cause reduced social and communication skills, which may persist into adulthood.

Here is a picture of myself from my early-childhood years (2-6):