EARLY SOCIAL-ENVIRONMENT MAY ALTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF ATTACHMENT AND SOCIAL SUPPORT - 2 CASE-REPORTS

Two bonnet monkey infants experienced a 7-day maternal separation after rearing in a social environment designed to increase tension, reduce allomaternal care, and restrict social networks. Neither infant was adopted during separation, and both infants exhibited more depression than typically observed. This suggests that systematic manipulation of the early social environment may alter the development of the mother-infant bond, affect development of attachment to other adults, and diminish social support available during separation, thus affecting response to separation. © 1991.