animal studies ao3

Question 1

strength of lorenz - existence for support of imprinting

Answer 1

p - one strength of lorenz research is existence for support of concept of imprinting
e - regolin and vallortiagara 1955
Chicks were exposed to simple shape combinations that moved eg a triangle with rectangle in front
When exposed to a range of combinations they followed the original one more closely
This supports the imprinting phenomenon he studied, animals are indeed born with an innate mechanism to imprint and follow the first moving object present in the critical period

Question 2

Limitation of Lorenz - generalisability to humans

Answer 2

Generalisability to Humans
• Lorenz only studied non-human animals so it is difficult to assume that humans would act in the same way.
• The attachment formation in mammals appears to be very different to that of bird species.
• Parents, specifically mothers, show more emotional reactions to their offspring with the added ability of being able to form attachments beyond the first few hours after birth.
So, whilst some of Lorenz’s findings have greatly influenced our understanding of development and attachment formation, the results and conclusions can’t necessarily be extrapolated to a human population.

Question 3

Strength of Harlow - real word application.

Answer 3

• Harlow’s research has practical value since it provides insight into attachment formation.
• For example, Howe (1998) reports that the knowledge gained from Harlow’s research has helped social workers and clinical psychologists understand that a lack of bonding experience may be a risk factor in child development, which can then allow people to intervene to prevent poor outcomes.
• In addition, there are practical applications in the care of captive wild monkeys in zoos or breeding programmes to ensure that they have adequate attachment figures as part of their care.
This means that the value of Harlow’s research is not just theoretical but can also be used in a practical sense in the real world.

Question 4

Harlow limitation- ethics

Answer 4

Animal studies are practical in many ways, but are also very unethical.
• The monkeys suffered greatly in terms of emotional separation from their biological mother at such an early age due to the procedure Harlow used.
• If the primates are considered to be sufficiently human-like to generalise the results beyond the sample used then it stands to reason that the effects of psychological harm that they will have endured are similar to that of a human baby also - protection from harm.
• There is, however, the question of whether the insight obtained was sufficiently important to psychologists’ understanding of attachment that Harlow was justified in his approach.