Animal studies in attachment

Question 1

Describe Lorenz’s study

Answer 1

• Clutch of goose eggs randomly divided into two groups
• One group left with mother, other raised in an incubator (Lorenz was the first thing they saw)
• After hatching, incubator group followed Lorenz and control group followed mother, even after mixing them up
• Imprinting: birds attach to and follow the first large moving object they see
• Critical period in which imprinting must occur (could be as little as few hours)

Question 2

Sexual imprinting

Answer 2

Imprinting often leads to courtship behaviour later being displayed

Question 3

Describe Harlow’s research

Answer 3

• 16 baby rhesus monkey’s removed from mother and reared with two surrogate mothers
• One wire, one covered in cloth and heated with hot water bottle
• Condition 1: wire mother dispensed milk, condition 2: cloth mother dispensed milk
• Spent more time with cloth mother regardless of which dispensed milk and sought comfort
• Creature comfort> food in attachment

Question 4

Maternal deprivation findings

Answer 4

Monkeys deprived of mothers suffered severe consequences

• Less sociable, more aggressive, less skilled at mating
• Effects could be reversed if they spent time with other monkeys before 3 months old

Question 5

Evaluation points

Answer 5

+ Application - Howe: Harlow’s research helped understanding that bonding experience influences development = prevention/intervention

• Based on monkeys: humans = greater awareness of thought processes/ decisions - not generalisable
• Hard to generalise geese behaviour to emotional expression of humans

+ Regolin and Vallortigara: chicks followed original moving shape combo more closely - support imprinting