Final answer:
The Harlows' study on rhesus monkeys suggests that fear can lead to a preference for contact comfort over food, confirming the assertion as true.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks whether fear produces a preference for contact comfort over food, and based on the Harlows' study on rhesus monkeys, the answer is true. This famous study found that infant rhesus monkeys preferred the comfort and security provided by a soft, cloth mother surrogate over a wire mother surrogate that provided food but lacked comfort. It suggests that contact comfort can outweigh even basic physiological needs like hunger, especially in situations eliciting fear or stress.