Animal Studies of Attachment

Question 1

What is imprinting and describe Lorenz’s study

Answer 1

Imprinting - when an animal automatically ‘attaches’ to the first moving thing it sees, following it everywhere.
Lorenz studied imprinting in Geese:
- Divided eggs into groups
- 1 group w/ mother, 1 group incubated w/ him
- goslings from incubator followed him, goslings w/ mother followed mother
- when both sets put together, they would separate and re-form to find their respective ‘mother’

Question 2

Conclusion of Lorenz’s study of Imprinting in Geese

Answer 2

• imprinting most likely between 13-16 hours after hatching
• occurs during ‘critical period’ and is a fast, automatic process
• after ‘critical period’, young birds never imprinted
• humans don’t do this

Question 3

Harlow - The need for ‘contact comfort’; Method, Results, Conclusion

Question 4

Harlow and Zimmerman