animal studies

Question 1

Lorenz- imprinting

Answer 1

Lorenz hatched goslings in two groups- one with their mother, one with him.

Goslings imprinted on the first moving figure they saw= irreversible - critical period 32 hrs after birth, affecting later social behaviours.

Question 2

Harlow- Contact Comfort

Answer 2

Harlow separated baby monkeys from mothers, placing them with two surrogates; one made of wire with food, the other soft but without food.

Monkeys preferred the soft surrogate, spending most time clinging to it= comfort and security are more significant than food

Question 3

weakness- low ecological validity- Lorenz

Answer 3

mammal attachment is diff to birds as mammals can form attachments at any point in life= cannot be generalised beyond research settings

Question 4

strength- practical applications- L+H

Answer 4

knowledge gained from the studies= applied to childcare and as a result, immediate physical contact of mum and baby is encouraged

Question 5

weakness- ethical criticisms- Harlow

Answer 5

Harlow’s study caused lasting psychological harm- monkeys showed distress and social dysfunction = raises concerns about ethical treatment. Lack of protection = unethical.

Question 6

strength- high generalisability

Answer 6

Animal studies - valuable insights into attachment, findings often applicable to humans in understanding basic attachment needs. researchers can explore attachment processes in humans when direct studies are not possible, =useful data