Harry Harlow An American Psychologist Who Studied...

Introduction Harry Harlow (1905-1981) was an American Psychologist who studied monkeys and their behavior. His research paved the way to a better understanding of human behavior. Dr. Harlow’s research also helped to better understand the psychology of children. This essay will discuss Dr. Harlow’s background, education, social influence, historical significance, and major contributions in the study of psychology. Background Early Childhood Harry Harlow’s original last name was Israel, and he was born on Halloween in 1905. He grew up in Fairfield, Iowa. His parent’s names were Mabel Rock and Alonzo Israel. He had four brothers, and grew up in a small farming community. He later changed his last name to Harlow in 1930 when he†¦show more content†¦Career After receiving his Doctorate, Dr. Harlow became employed at the University of Wisconsin. He was an outstanding professor who reveled in educating students in psychology. He aided several students in obtaining their PhD as well. His students thought very highly of him. Lack of funding restricted Harlow of a functioning laboratory. With the assistance of his graduate students, he found a vacant building that was renovated. This lab became his â€Å"Primate Laboratory†. This was the first of its kind at that time. Throughout his career, Harry was recognized with several honors, which included the Gold Medal from American Psychological Foundation (LeRoy, 2008). Personal Life Harry Harlow married his student, Clara in the early 1930’s. Clara and Harry had two sons together before they divorced in 1946. Soon after his divorce from Clara, he married a child psychologist named Margaret. They also had two children together. Margaret, sadly died from cancer in 1971, which led Harlow to become deeply depressed. He was treated with electro-convulsive therapy. In 1972, he remarried Clara, and they remained a couple until his death in 1981 in Tucson, Arizona. Contributions in Psychology Experiments Harry Harlow’s main focus in his research was to understand the human behavior of love and relationships and how it intertwined as a humanistic need. His experiments were performed in his â€Å"Primate