Contact Comfort
Definition
Contact comfort refers to the physical and emotional comfort that an infant receives from being in physical contact with its mother or primary caregiver.
Analogy
Imagine contact comfort as your favorite cozy blanket on a cold day. Just as the blanket provides warmth and soothes you, physical contact with caregivers provides infants with feelings of safety, comfort, and love.
Related terms
Harlow’s Monkeys Experiment: An experiment by Harry Harlow showing that baby monkeys preferred cloth surrogate mothers (providing contact comfort) over wire mothers providing food but no comfort. Like choosing cuddles over snacks!
Skin-to-Skin Contact (Kangaroo Care): A method of holding an infant so that there is skin-to-skin contact between the infant and the person holding them. It's like a warm, comforting hug that helps babies feel secure and loved.
Bonding: The intense attachment that develops between parents and their baby. Think of it as superglue - it creates a strong, lasting connection.
"Contact Comfort" appears in:
Study guides (2)
Practice Questions (1)
- What is a key intervention strategy when dealing with a child who has not yet mastered Harlow's concept of contact comfort?
Resources
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