Love at Goon Park : Harry Harlow and the science of affection

363 Pages·2002·1.85 MB·English

by  Harlow

Psychology BLum
witH a new introduction
w
e take it for granted that we should kiss our children, hug our friends, and
comfort our partners. But in the early twentieth century, affection between
L “one of the great untold stories of twentieth-century intellectual history.”
parents and their kids was very much discouraged—psychologists thought it
—Steven Pinker
would create needy and demanding offspring; doctors were convinced it would spread infectious o
disease. it took a revolution in psychology to overturn these beliefs and prove the emotional
v
and intellectual benefits of touch.
e
in Love at Goon Park, Pulitzer Prize–winner deborah Blum charts this profound cultural Love at
shift by tracing the story of the man who made it possible. through studying neglect and its
a
life-altering consequences on primates in his lab, Harry Harlow confirmed love’s central role
in shaping not only how we feel but also how we think. t
the story of an evolution of both a man and an idea, Love at Goon Park ultimately invites
G Goon Park
us to examine ourselves and the way we love.
o
“Beautifully written.” —TiMe
o
“engrossing.” —THe WasHinGTon PosT n
Harry HarLow and the

“Blum does the excellent, requisite historian’s job, illuminating P Science of affection
a period whose zeitgeist differs from ours. . . . it’s an irresistible story told
a
exceedingly well.” —robert Sapolsky, scienTific aMerican
r
deborah
k
deBoraH BLum won a Pulitzer Prize for her writing and reporting about primate
Blum 5-1/2 x 8-1/4”
experiments and ethics, a subject that she further explored in her first book, The Monkey Wars.
B: 15/16”
She is the author of The Poisoner’s Handbook—a new York Times best seller—as well as sex on autHor of
the Brain and Ghost Hunters. Blum is a professor of journalism at the university of wisconsin The Poisoner’s Handbook
and she has written for the Los angeles Times, Boston Globe, Wall street Journal, new York and The Monkey Wars BASIC
Times, Washington Post, slate, Discover, Psychology Today, and more. She lives with her family
PB
in madison, wisconsin.
$16.99 US / $19.95 CAN 4/COLOR
www.deborahblum.com
PMS 877M
cover design by nicole caputo ISBN 978-0-465-02601-2
51699
cover image © Photo researchers, inc.
FINISH:
Gritty Matte
a member of the Perseus Books Group
9 780465 026012
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Praise for Love at Goon Park
“In her 1994 book, The Monkey Wars, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist
Deborah Blum superbly balanced opposing views of the incendiary
issue of primate vivisection. In Love at Goon Park, Blum does an
equally skillful job balancing the pictures of that psychologist, Harry
Harlow, as troubled soul and brutal abuser of his experimental subjects
versus helper of humankind through brilliant science. . . . Blum does the
excellent, requisite historian’s job, illuminating a period whose zeitgeist
differs from ours. . . . It’s an irresistible story told exceedingly well.”
—Robert Sapolsky, from Scientific American
“Blum’s valuable book is sometimes enchanting and sometimes
poignant, but always interesting. It shows the reality behind the simplis-
tic stereotypes that have often been associated with this brilliant and
troubled genius.”
—Duane M. Rumbaugh, Ph.D.,
The New England Journal of Medicine
“Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Blum (The Monkey Wars) rivetingly
recounts Harlow’s work while examining the man himself. . . . Blum’s ex-
cellent biography, the first major new work devoted to him, should
change that. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.”
—Library Journal
“Blum integrates clear explanations of the theories Harlow was reacting
against (such as behaviorism) with details about his fractured home and
personal life. An informative, candid biography.”
—Booklist
“In this surprisingly compelling book, Blum (The Monkey Wars) reveals
that many of the child-rearing truths we now take for granted—infants
need parental attention; physical contact is related to emotional growth
and cognitive development—were shunned by the psychological com-
munity of the 1950s. . . . Monkey Warsfans who have been waiting for
a follow-up will find this book irresistible.”
—Publishers Weekly
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“For generations of psychology students, the image of a baby monkey
being comforted by a cloth doll is one of their most indelible memories
of the subject. Yet even most psychologists know little about the bril-
liant, funny, and infuriating man behind the experiments. Nor do many
people know about its context—the fall and rise of the concept of love
in social science. Deborah Blum combines these elements into a grip-
ping biography, written with intelligence, warmth, and panache.”
—Steven Pinker, author of
The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works,
and The Blank Slate
“Incredible as it may seem, half a century ago leading psychologists
scoffed at the notion that affection was vital to an infant’s flourishing.
Deborah Blum brilliantly recalls this chilling era, and the scientist
whose controversial experiments reaffirmed love’s importance. Love at
Goon Parkis science history at its best.”
—John Horgan, author of The End of Science
“Harry Harlow, whose name has become synonymous with cruel mon-
key experiments, actually helped put an end to cruel child-rearing prac-
tices. How these practices could ever have been advocated is only part
of the puzzle presented in this lively biography. Blum does not shy away
from the ethical questions raised by Harlow’s research, yet reminds us
that he was a complex man who won his battle with the scientific estab-
lishment so resoundingly that the outcome is now taken for granted.”
—Frans De Waal
“Love at Goon Park is the important story of the human need for love.
Deborah Blum tells the engaging tale of Harry Harlow and his ground-
breaking research with monkeys that proved our essential drive for social
attachment. This book is not just good science writing, it’s a great story.”
—Meredith F. Small,
author of Our Babies, Ourselvesand Kids
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Love
at
Goon Park
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Other Books by Deborah Blum
The Monkey Wars
Sex on the Brain
A Field Guide for Science Writers (co-editor)
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Love
at
Goon Park
Harry Harlow and
the Science of Affection
deborah blum
New York
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
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Copyright © 2002 by Deborah Blum
Hardcover edition published in the United States in 2002 by
Perseus Publishing, A Member of the Perseus Books Group
Paperback edition published in the United States in 2011 by
Basic Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of
this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical
articles and reviews. For information, address Basic Books,
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810.
Books published by Basic Books are available at special discounts for bulk
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organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets
Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite
200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call [phone], ext. 5000,
or e-mail [email protected].
Text design by Brent Wilcox
Harlow Primate Laboratory photos taken
By Robert R. Sponholz and Robert O. Dodsworth
A CIP catalog record for this book is available
from the Library of Congress.
LCCN 2002112387
Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-7382-0278-5
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-465-02601-2
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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To Ann and Murray Blum
Absolutely my favorite parents
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Contents
Introduction ix
Acknowledgments xiii
prologue Love, Airborne 1
1 The Invention of Harry Harlow 7
2 Untouched by Human Hands 31
3 The Alpha Male 61
4 The Curiosity Box 89
5 The Nature of Love 113
6 The Perfect Mother 143
7 Chains of Love 171
8 The Baby in the Box 207
9 Cold Hearts and Warm Shoulders 231
10 Love Lessons 257
epilogue Extreme Love 291
Notes 309
Index 327
vii