Animal Studies Flashcards
What is the critical period for imprinting according to Lorenz?
13 - 17 hours after hatching
Imprinting occurs only during this specific window of time.
What is imprinting?
A form of attachment where an animal forms a bond with the first moving object seen
This was demonstrated by Lorenz’s experiments.
What are the two conditions in Harlow’s study on rhesus monkeys?
Condition 1: cloth mother with food, Condition 2: wire mother with food
The cloth mother provided comfort, while the wire mother was less effective despite providing food.
What did Harlow’s studies indicate about the importance of comfort versus food?
Comfort is more important to animals than food
Monkeys sought comfort from the cloth mother when frightened.
What ethical concerns arise from animal studies in research?
Lack of informed consent
Animals cannot provide consent, raising ethical issues regarding their treatment.
What is one consequence of maternal deprivation observed in Harlow’s study?
Dysfunction in adult relationships
Maternal deprivation negatively impacted social behavior in grown-up monkeys.
What is the main focus of ethology?
Scientific study of animal behavior
Ethology examines how animals interact with their environment and each other.
True or False: Imprinting can be undone after the critical period.
False
Once imprinting occurs, it cannot be reversed.
What was the sample size used in Harlow’s animal studies?
16 rhesus monkeys
This sample size was used to study the effects of maternal deprivation.
Fill in the blank: Animal studies often face criticism for low ________ validity.
external
This refers to the difficulty in generalizing findings from animal studies to humans.
What type of attachment did Lorenz’s geese form during his experiments?
Imprinting to the first moving object seen
This was a key finding in Lorenz’s work on animal attachment.
