Why would behaviorists have predicted that the monkeys would be attracted to the wire monkey who provided them with milk as opposed to the cloth monkey who provided contact comfort?

Behaviorism is a psychological approach that emphasizes the importance of observable behavior over internal states such as thoughts or emotions. It posits that true scientific psychology should only focus on behavior that can be seen and measured.

Under this perspective, the intricate processes of the mind are considered less significant than how organisms respond to stimuli. Observable behavior, from this view, is anything an organism does that can be noted or recorded by another person, such as speaking, running, or, in the context of our exercise, the preference shown by monkeys for one surrogate 'mother' over another.

In the classroom setting, this approach might be used to reinforce positive behaviors and discourage negative ones through rewards and consequences, as these directly influence observable actions.

Behavioral training is grounded in the idea that behavior can be learned or unlearned through environmental stimuli and consequences. This training involves the use of reinforcement, which can either be positive (by providing a reward) or negative (by removing an adverse stimulus), to increase desirable behaviors, or punishment to decrease undesirable behaviors.

For example, a teacher might use praise to encourage a student's participation in class or a pet owner might use treats to train a dog to sit. In the case of the exercise, behaviorists would predict that monkeys would be trained to prefer the wire monkey that provides them with milk, seeing it as a positive reinforcement for survival.

The behaviorist view sees behavior as a response to environmental stimuli. Environmental stimuli are external triggers that can provoke a response from an organism. They can range from physical elements such as light and heat to more complex ones like social interaction and emotional presence. These stimuli can lead to conditioned responses, especially if they are consistent and repeated over time.

In educational applications, environmental stimuli might be manipulated to create a conducive learning atmosphere, perhaps by adjusting the lighting for optimal visibility or by changing the seating arrangement to encourage interaction. According to behaviorists, the monkeys in the textbook exercise would respond more to the stimulus with the more immediate benefits, namely the provision of milk.

Harry Harlow's experiment in the 1950s was a study on rhesus monkeys, which challenged the behaviorists' views on attachment and comfort. Harlow provided infant monkeys with two artificial 'mothers': one made of wire that provided milk and one covered in soft cloth that provided no sustenance. Contrary to behaviorist predictions, the monkeys displayed a strong preference for the soft, cloth surrogate regardless of its lack of food provision.

The experiment demonstrated the importance of comfort, contact, and warmth alongside basic physiological needs, suggesting that internal states and not just external, observable behaviors are significant in understanding development and attachment. It opened the door to the understanding that nurture goes beyond just basic physical needs and includes emotional security and comfort as well.