Final answer:
Harry Harlow's research on primates demonstrates that social comfort and security are crucial to the mother-infant bond, more so than nourishment. This has significant implications for understanding both primate and human development. The essential roles of female kin highlight the importance of nurture over nature in social behaviors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding the Mother/Infant Bond in Primates: Primate behavior studies, specifically those conducted by researchers like Harry Harlow, have explored the dynamics of the mother-infant bond. Through experimental setups involving surrogate mothers made of wire and cloth, Harlow demonstrated that social comfort is of greater importance to infant monkeys than mere nourishment. This overturned previous assumptions in the scientific community, which held that the provision of food was the primary driver of maternal bond formation. The preference of baby monkeys for a cloth surrogate mother over a wire mother providing food illustrates the significance of tactile comfort and security in developing healthy psychosocial attributes. Further research by Harlow and others has shown that the absence of social contact and maternal care can lead to substantial developmental and social issues in later life. These findings have important implications for understanding not just primate behavior, but also human child development, highlighting the intricate balance between nature and nurture in shaping social and psychological outcomes. Studies also reveal that, while both male and female primates are essential to social life, the central figures in most primate societies are the females, particularly mothers and their offspring. The bond and solidarity between female kin form the cohesive core of primate group dynamics.