Abstract
An orang-utan mother-infant dyad was studied for effects of separation and reunion upon the infant's behavior and the mother-infant relationship. Data were obtained during two weeks each of pre-separation, separation and reunion. Typical reflections of protest and despair were observed in the infant during separation. Initial detachment and a subsequent intensification of the mother-infant relationship occurred following reunion. The results are consistent with the view that these reactions to separation and reunion are characteristics of the biological heritage of thePrimates. Failure to observe detachment in most monkeys that have been studied seems to reflect differences between the behavior of monkey mothers, on the one hand, and great ape and human mothers, on the other hand, in response to the conditions of testing.
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Nadler, R.D., Codner, M.A. Maternal separation and reunion of an infant orang-utan. Primates 24, 67–76 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381454
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02381454