Steve Sumoi’s laboratory has shown that in Rhesus monkeys that were maternally deprived grow up to be socially anxious in nature and develop reactive temperaments – a tendency to become aggressive, impulsive, fearful and over-aroused. They also tend to go to the bottom of the dominance hierarchies and develop abnormal neuro-endocrine functioning. They also tend to consume larger amounts of alcohol and develop quicker tolerance to it. The experience of an inadequate environment triggered the expression of genetic vulnerabilities but this did not occur if the early attachment experience was good.
Maternal deprivation in Rhesus monkeys
