Almost everyone was exposed this week to the sad story of Punch, the seven-month-old monkey cub from a zoo in Japan, who grew up without a mother and clung to an orangutan doll as a way to cope with the troop of monkeys that treated him cruelly.
Punch’s story illustrates for us how important the existence of secure attachment is between an infant (or a monkey cub) and a primary caregiver figure, characterized by consistent presence, support and sensitivity to the child’s needs.
Attachment in Psychological Experiments
In 1965, a famous experiment in psychology was conducted, called “Cloth Mother vs. Wire Mother Experiment,” with the aim of examining whether infants form emotional attachments to their mothers solely due to the fulfillment of their material needs, or due to displays of emotional affection, such as warmth, caresses and a calming presence. As part of the experiment, a baby rhesus monkey was separated from his mother, and in her place two adult monkey-like dolls were placed in the cage: The wire mother, a doll made of wire that contained only a bottle of milk and provided the physical need, and the towel mother, a soft doll covered with a towel that did not provide milk but offered soft and comfortable touch.
The research question was: Would the monkey spend most of his time with the wire mother, who provided only food, or with the towel mother, who provided soft touch and emotional comfort? The result of the experiment was clear: The monkey spent most of his time with the towel mother and approached the wire mother only when he was hungry. These results were repeated in similar experiments.
Infants need touch, a calming presence, warmth and emotional connection as a basic developmental need. Secure attachment is the initial emotional bond formed between the infant and the caregiver who consistently cares for him, usually one of the parents. This is a fundamental and meaningful bond that accompanies the child and influences his emotional, social and behavioral development throughout his life.
What Does Secure Attachment Look Like?
Attachment is the infant’s sense of security that he has a consistent, available and sensitive figure who can protect him, calm him and respond to his physical and emotional needs. Through this bond, the infant learns whether the world is a safe place and whether others can be trusted.
Secure attachment develops when the caregiver responds to the infant’s crying and distress, tries to understand what the infant needs, calms him consistently and is available to him both in calm moments and in difficult moments.
An infant with secure attachment will feel safe enough to move away and explore the environment, to play and take interest in the world, and to return to the caregiver when he needs comfort.
The caregiver serves as a secure base for the infant, from which he can go out into the world and return when needed.
Why Is Secure Attachment Important for Emotional Development?
Studies show that secure attachment is associated with better emotional regulation, a better ability to cope with frustration and changes, the development of normal and healthy social relationships, a positive sense of self-worth, self-confidence and a sense of competence.
Children who grow up within a secure attachment relationship tend to better understand their own emotions and the emotions of others, to ask for help when needed and to build stable relationships throughout their lives.
Despite the absence of a mother in his life, Punch’s attachment to the doll provides him with comfort and security, and allows him to experience a basic physical-emotional connection that supports his emotional development.
Dagnit Ben Nissan is a medical and developmental clinical psychologist, Director of the Psychological Service at the Child Development Institute, Schneider Children’s Medical Center from the Clalit Group.