3.3 Animal studies of attachment

Question 1

Define Imprinting

Answer 1

An innate readiness to develop a strong bond with the mother which takes place during the first few hours after birth/hatching. If it doesn’t happen then it probably never will.

Question 2

Describe Lorenz animal studies of attachment

Answer 2

Lorenz- hatches geese eggs and made them imprint.

One group of geese imprinted on him, the other imprinted on their mother.

Question 3

What did Lorenz find

Answer 3

Findings- the geese followed him everywhere.
critical period: the geese have to imprint at this specific time.
The process is irreversible and therefore sets mating preference(geese smashed lorenzes shoes)Uwu

Question 4

Evaluate Lorenz’ study

Answer 4

Unethical as it involves animals
Supported by Guiton et al
Imprinting may be able to be reversed over time and ,ay be learned.

Question 5

Describe Harlow’s animal study of attachment

Answer 5

One monkey, two mothers. One made of cloth and the other made of wire with a feeder.
He observed how much time the monkeys spent at each mother and who they went to when scared.

Question 6

What did Harlow find.

Answer 6

Monkeys spent most time with cloth mother, and only went to the wire one to feed.
Critical period must be formed before six months
All the monkeys showed long lasting damage to their social skills.

Question 7

Evaluate Harlow’s study

Answer 7

Confounding variables as the wire mother looks different
It cannot be generalised to humans
ETHICS