Final answer:
The term Harlow used to describe the high death rate in orphanages due to lack of proper care and nutrition is Marasmus. It is a severe form of malnutrition that is influenced by both inadequate emotional and physical nourishment. The correct answer is option 3) Marasmus syndrome.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term used to describe the high death rate of children in orphanages that Harlow investigated is Marasmus. Harlow's research focused on the importance of early social contact, and his studies with rhesus monkeys highlighted the severe consequences of social and emotional deprivation, which can include marasmus-like symptoms in children.
Marasmus is a form of severe malnutrition characterized by energy deficiency; it can occur in children who are not provided with adequate nutrition, including those in poorly managed orphanages where children might not receive sufficient emotional and physical care along with proper nutrition. This deficiency impacts a child's development and can lead to a high mortality rate among the institutionalized youth.
Marasmus is not only linked to the lack of adequate food intake but also to the lack of nurturing and emotional care, aspects that Harlow's experiments on monkeys have emulated.
The conditions depicted by Harlow mimic the environments seen in some orphanages, where children, even when provided with the basic subsistence, still suffer from the psychological and developmental impacts of inadequate emotional care, showing symptoms resembling those of marasmus.