Animal studies of attachement: Lorenz and Harlow

Question 1

Animal studies: Lorenz imprinting

Answer 1

• animals are known to attatch to the mother strongly
• infant animal will then follow the mother

Question 2

Lorenz (1935): procedure

Answer 2

• goose eggs randomly divided
• half hatched by lorenz
• half hatched w mother
• varied time between hatching and when the gosling first observed the moving object

Question 3

Lorenz (1935): Findings

Answer 3

• the goslings he hatched imprinted on him, follows him not mum
• goslings hatched in natural environment imprinted on mum and followed her
• placed in box:
• goslings imprinted on lorenz= found him
• found critical period of 32 hours
• if they didn’t see big moving object to imprint on, it lost the ability to imprint

Question 4

what does Lorenz’s research suggest?

Answer 4

• imprinting is strongly evolutionary/ biological factor of attatchment
• imprinting is w first large object visually seen
• NOT other potential cues

Question 5

Animal studies: Harlow and the cupboard love theory

Answer 5

• test of the ‘cupboard love’ theories
• babies love mothers because they feed them

Question 6

Harlow (1958): Procedure

Answer 6

• removed from biological mums soon after birth and placed with surrogate
• 1 surrogate= food no comfort (wired)
• 2 surrogate= covered with cloth but no food
• time spent with each mum recorded
• looked at who they ran to when scared by mechanical monkey

Question 7

Harlow (1958): Findings

Answer 7

• spent most time with cloth mum for comfort
• only went to wire when needed food but quickly returned to cloth
• returned to cloth mum when frightened
• monkeys without cloth covered mother showed stress related illness
• maternal deprivation= permanent social disorders in the monkeys
• difficulty mating+ raising offspring

Question 8

what does Harlows research suggest?

Answer 8

• monkeys have biological need for physical contact
• attatch to whatever provides comfort rather than food
• evidence AGAINST cupboard love theory

Question 9

Evaluations: limitations, generalisability

Answer 9

• generalisation from animals to humans is problematic
• animals have very different biology
• humans have different cultural experiences that inform their behaviour
• Harlows findings were closer genetically than lorenz
• shouldn’t thought to be applied to humans

Question 10

Evaluations: strength, Harlows findings have been influential

Answer 10

• Harlows findings on contact comfort have been highly influential
• Bowlby= infant want comfort from mothers
• want to form monotropic relationships
• if fails= as adults they will have poor socialisation

Question 11

Evaluations: strength/ limitation, bowlbys critical period= influential but just sensitive

Answer 11

• critical period in geese= highly influential
• Bowlby= similar period in humans @ 6-30 mnths
• if attachment doesn’t form= social problems
• BUT research on orphans suggest period is “sensitive” not critical
• layer care can help w recovery

Question 12

Evaluations: strength, practical applications

Answer 12

• knowledge from these studies and bowlbys influence have been applied to childcare
• contact after birth is encouraged
• social workers actively investigate infant neglect + understand its long term harm

Question 13

Evaluations: strength/ limitation, ethical implications BUT cost-benefit analysis

Answer 13

• ethical implications= caused harm intentionally and orphaned primate infants, caused high stress levels
• study harmed psychology’s reputation
• BUT long term benefits to human infants justifies the research
• considering a cost- benefit analysis