Animal Studies Of Attachment

Question 1

Imprinting study

Answer 1

Lorenz
- divided clutch of geese eggs into 2 groups
- half hatched with mother half hatched with Lorenz
Group 1 imprinted on mother group 2 imprinted on Lorenz
- imprint means to attach to first moving thing you see.
- critical period - 12-17 hours or attachment won’t happen
- marked them then put them together both went towards their mother figure

Question 2

Sexual imprinting

Answer 2

If they imprint on humans they will display courtship behaviour to humans in adult life.

Question 3

Sexual imprinting study

Answer 3

Guiton -
Chick imprinted in yellow glove then later tried to mate with yellow glove
- but when put back with own species over time will mate with them
Shows sexual imprinting is reversible

Question 4

Evaluation of animal imprinting

Answer 4

✔️influential findings - suggests Imprinting is innate for survival and attach to figure that will help them.
✔️reliable repeated study lots of times and got the same result

✖️- using animals makes findings less valid as can’t use animal behaviour to explain human behaviour as were more conscious than animals.

Question 5

Harlows study

Answer 5

Harlow
- 16 monkeys separated from mother immediately after birth
-givn two surrogate mother - wire, cloth
-wire fed 8, cloth fed 8
- both groups spent more time with cloth mum even if she wasn’t the one providing food
-when frightening object was placed in cage they ran to cloth mother
-suggests attachment us based of contact comfort and not food

Question 6

conclusion - Long term effects on monkeys

Answer 6

• monkeys left for 90+ days has problems with social socialisation when put back with other monkeys either aggressive or timid
• females were inadequate mothers

90 days critical period if attachment didn’t happen in this period won’t happen at all

• shows important of bonding and comfort care

Monkeys with 2 wire mums couldn’t show effection and struggle gaining weight shows comfort contact effects physical development and emotional development.

Question 7

Evaluation of monkeys

Answer 7

✔️- supports attachment being innate the monkeys were driven to attach to something for survival and care.
✔️- without attachment in critical period has long term emotional and physical damage.
✔️- shows effects on children without mother figures

✖️- ethical issues monkeys were impacted for life and we’re killed as couldn’t get put back into society.