Animal Research

Question 1

What is the aim of Romero et al’s 2014 study?

Answer 1

To investigate the role of oxytocin in promoting social bonds in mammals in non-reproductive contexts (dogs).

Question 2

Procedure of Romero’s study?

Answer 2

Sixteen dogs were sprayed with intranasal with either oxytocin or a placebo. They were placed in a room with their owners and one other dog. Their behaviour was recorded by four cameras in the room. The room was empty aside from the chair on which the owner sat. The owner was asked to move the chair to a preassigned position every 10 minutes but were otherwise asked not to interact with the dogs. The dogs behaviour was analysed with a checklist of dog behaviours.

Question 3

Findings of Romero’s study?

Answer 3

It was observed that affiliation (licking, gentle touching with paw or nose and other body contact) and approach was more frequent in the oxytocin group. It was also shown that they spent significantly more time close to their owner. Similar results were observed with the owner. Affiliated and approach results were more frequent in the oxytocin condition. Blood tests indicated that this was bidirectional. The more the dog interacted with the owner and partner dog the more oxytocin was present in the bloodstream.

Question 4

Conclusions of Romero’s study?

Answer 4

It can be said that oxytocin promotes social interaction and social interaction affects oxytocin. 
Can be replicated with human subjects, so that we can compare results and see to what extent the study of animal behaviour can help us understand human behaviour.

Question 5

Define epigenetics.

Answer 5

Epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modifications of gene expression.

Question 6

What is the aim of Weaver’s 2004 study?

Answer 6

To investigate how the type of nurturing rats receive from their mothers in early life affects the way their brain responds to stress later in life.

Question 7

Procedure of Weaver’s study?

Answer 7

Researchers used brain scanning technology to map out methylation differences in the brains of rats that received low affection and compared it to those that received high affection from their mothers in their early stages of life.

Question 8

Findings of Weaver’s study?

Answer 8

• Less nurturing in life was linked to the suppression of the glucocorticoid receptor gene
• As a result, they grew up to become nervous and anxious adult rats
• The opposite was true for rats that received higher nurturing from their mothers
• Mothers that were less affectionate lickers increased the methylation (repression) of the gene that plays a key role in reducing stress response

Question 9

Conclusions of Weaver’s study?

Answer 9

The findings support the idea of epigenetics.

Question 10

Strengths of Weaver’s study?

Answer 10

• Generalisability to humans
• A follow up study confirmed a cause and effect relationship
• Ethical guidelines were followed

Question 11

Limitations of Weaver’s study?

Answer 11

The effects of low nurture on the rats was permanent.

Question 12

What is Harry Harlow’s attachment theory?

Answer 12

The behavioural theory of attachment would suggest that an infant would form an attachment with a carer that provides food. In contrast, Harlow’s explanation was that attachment develops as a result of the mother providing “tactile comfort”, suggesting that infants have an innate (biological) need to touch and cling to something for emotional comfort.

Question 13

What is the aim of Harlow’s 1958 study?

Answer 13

To test Freud’s idea about infants bonding with their mother primarily because she satisfies their basic nutritional needs.

Question 14

Procedure of Harlow’s study?

Answer 14

In this study, Harlow took infant monkeys from their biological mothers and gave them two inanimate surrogate mothers: one was a simple construction of wire and wood, the second was covered in foam rubber and soft terry cloth. The infants were assigned to one of two conditions- in the first, the wire mother had a milk bottle and the cloth mother did not; in the second, the cloth mother had the food while the mother had none.

Question 15

Findings of Harlow’s study?

Answer 15

In both conditions, Harlow found that the infant monkeys spent significantly more time with the terry cloth mother than they did with the wire mother. When only the wire mother had food, the babies came to the wire mother to feed and immediately returned to cling to the cloth surrogate. Harlow’s work showed that infants also turned to inanimate surrogate mothers for comfort when they were faced with new and scary situations.

Question 16

Conclusions of Harlow’s study?

Answer 16

The study produced empirical evidence for the primary of the parent-child attachment relationship and the importance of maternal touch in infant development.
Harlow suggested that the same results apply for human infants - that the timing is critical when it comes to separating a child from his or her mother. It was found that the establishment of bond between the infant and his or her mother is not purely dependent on the satisfaction of one’s physiological needs (warmth, safety, food), but also emotional (acceptance, love, affection).

Question 17

Strengths of Harlow’s study?

Answer 17

• At the time of the research, there was a dominant belief that attachment was related to physical (i.e. food) rather than emotional care. This study has convinced people in hospitals, children’s homes and daycare, about the importance of emotional care.
• It has also changed parenting, in terms of providing a child more emotional affection.
• It was repeated several times with different monkeys, therefore minimising the individual differences.

Question 18

Limitations of Harlow’s study?

Answer 18

• Harlow’s work has been criticised for being majorly unethical. It was clear that the monkeys in this study suffered from emotional harm from being reared in isolation. This was evident when the monkeys were placed with a normal monkey (reared by a mother), they sat huddled in a corner in a state of persistent fear and depression.
• Harlow created a state of anxiety in female monkeys which had implications once they became parents. Such monkeys became so neurotic that they smashed their infant’s face into the floor and rubbed it back and forth.
• It had low ecological validity as this study is a lab experiment and had unnatural situations in an unnatural environment.