This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography, a collaborative effort to create, develop and organize Wikipedia's articles about people. All interested editors are invited to join the project and contribute to the discussion. For instructions on how to use this banner, please refer to the documentation.BiographyWikipedia:WikiProject BiographyTemplate:WikiProject Biographybiography
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Psychology, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Psychology on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.PsychologyWikipedia:WikiProject PsychologyTemplate:WikiProject Psychologypsychology
The "pit of despair" was actually used to imprison baby monkeys for up to a year, not just six weeks, as is documented in the Wikipedia article on the device. This should be made consistent. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 20.139.226.50 (talk • contribs)
The isolation chambers were used to completely isolate monkeys for up to 12 months, but monkeys were kept in the "vertical chamber apparatus" (re: Suomi) for much shorter periods. If you are aware of a source demonstrating something else, please post it here. Rbogle21:34, 9 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Hi, I could only find that the monkeys were kept in the verticle chamber apparatus for up to six weeks, although in the other isolation chambers for up to one year, which I think is what Pit of despair says. The source I used for that was one of Deborah Blum's books, but she wasn't very precise as I recall. I'll take another look. SlimVirgin(talk)22:24, 9 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
In The Monkey Wars (1994), Blum doesn't say anything about the length of time monkeys were in the Pit, but she says they were in the other isolation chambers for up to two years. She writes: "The laboratory built 'isolation chambers,' cages that screened monkeys from seeing others, faced them against walls. They left young monkeys in them, alone, for three months, six months, a year, two years. The two-year experiment was tried only once: the monkeys, reported Harlow, were mentally destroyed. Nothing the scientists did — pairing then with friendly companions, stroking them, giving them extra treats — could make them even lift their heads." (p.92)
In Love at Goon Park (2002), Blum writes of the Pit: "Most of the chambered monkeys were at least three months old. They were kept in the vertical chamber for maybe a month, no more than six weeks." (p.219)
However, Blum also writes in Goon Park that Harlow kept the monkeys in the regular isolation chambers for up to one year, whereas she wrote in Monkey Wars that one set of monkeys was kept for two years, so I'm not sure I trust her figures, but they're all I have at the moment. SlimVirgin(talk)22:42, 9 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
I got hung up on the Harlow et al. "Total social isolation in monkeys." paper, so went back and looked again. Stephens cites two studies in which baby monkeys were left in the chamber for two years (24 months.)
Harlow, H.F. 1962. Development of affection in primates. Pp. 157-166 in: Roots of Behavior (E.L. Bliss, ed.). New York: Harper.
The other one is Harlow, H.F. 1964. Early social deprivation and later behavior in the monkey. Pp. 154-173 in: Unfinished tasks in the behavioral sciences (A.Abrams, H.H. Gurner & J.E.P. Tomal, eds.) Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
These will need to be reformatted; the 24 months is well documented. If the article isn't edited tonight, I'll do it tomorrow.Rbogle02:49, 10 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Something should be made of the controversy surrounding his monkey trials. Doesn't anyone else thing so?
