Animal studies

Question 1

Outline Lorenz’s geese study:

Answer 1

• Divide gosling eggs into 2 groups
• One group with mother
• Other group in an incubator - first moving thing they saw was Lorenz
• Goslings were marked and placed with the mother and Lorenz to see what they would do
• Goslings divided themselves
• The ones who hatched with the mother followed her
• Incubated goslings followed Lorenz with no recognition of the mother

Question 2

Evaluation of Lorenz’s geese study:

Answer 2

• Research support for imprinting - Guiton found leghorn chicks exposed to yellow rubber gloves while being fed during first weeks became imprinted on the gloves
• Dispute over characteristics of imprinting such as whether it is irreversible. Guiton found imprinting on chickens which tried to mate with the rubber gloves would engage in normal sexual behaviour after spending time with their own species

Question 3

Outline Harlow’s monkey study:

Answer 3

• two mothers- one in cloth and one in wire
• 8 rhesus monkeys studied for 165 days - 4 of the monkeys had a feeding bottle on the cloth and the other 4 on the wire
• Harlow recorded time they spent with the mothers and observations recorded when they were frightened by a mechanical toy
• all monkeys spent most time on cloth mother
• those with the bottle on the wire would quickly feed and return to cloth mother
• when frightened, all monkeys went to cloth mother

Question 4

Evaluate Harlow’s monkey study:

Answer 4

• research evidence with human infants supporting Harlow’s findings
• study has been criticised as the two different heads were cofounding variables reducing the internal validity
• ethical concerns as there was long lasting negative effects on the monkeys who struggled to form bonds with their peers although, it can be argued the benefits outweigh the costs as study has been used to offer better care for human and primate infants