Animal studies of attachment Flashcards
Which 2 psychologists conducted animal studies of attachment?
Lorenz and Harlow
What did Harlow seek to disprove?
The cupboard love theory of attachment
What animals did Harlow study?
Rhesus monkeys
How many monkeys did Harlow study?
8
How long did Harlow study his monkeys for?
165 days
How many different types of monkey mother did Harlow create?
2
What were the 2 types of mother monkey in Harlow’s study?
Wire mother and cloth mother
What was measured in Harlow’s study?
The amount of time the monkeys spent with each mother
What were the 2 different experimental groups in Harlow’s study?
Milk bottle on wire mother and milk bottle on cloth mother
What did Harlow find?
All 8 monkeys spent most of their time with the cloth mother - milk bottle or not
What did Harlow’s monkeys do when frightened?
Cling to the cloth mother
What did Harlow’s monkeys do when playing with a new toy?
They would keep one foot on the cloth mother for reassurance
What are the 2 AO3 points of Harlow’s research?
1) Confounding variable
2) Unethical
What is the confounding variable in Harlow’s study?
The different heads of the wire and cloth mothers
Why are the monkeys heads a confounding variable in Harlow’s study?
Because it varied systematically with the independent variable - there is a possibility that the reason the monkeys preferred the cloth mother is because it had a more attractive head
Why is Harlow’s study unethical?
The study caused the monkeys significant psychological harm (e.g. intentionally frightening them) + caused abnormal social development
Despite Harlow’s study being unethical, how can this be justified?
It has led to a much better understanding of the processes of attachment and has allowed us to develop better care for human infants
What animals did Lorenz study?
Geese
What process did Lorenz study?
Imprinting
What is imprinting?
An innate readiness to form an attachment bond
What were the 2 groups in Lorenz’s study?
Hatched in the presence of mother or hatched in the presence of Lorenz
What happened when Lorenz mixed the geese hatched in the presence of him with the geese hatched in the presence of their mother?
They all followed who they had imprinted on
What did Lorenz conclude?
That there is a critical period in which imprinting occurs (0-2 days)
What are the 2 AO3 points of Lorenz’s study?
1) Research support for imprinting
2) Criticisms of imprinting
Who found research support for Lorenz’s theory of imprinting?
Guiton
What animals did Guiton study?
Leghorn chicks
What did Guiton do?
Hatched leghorn chicks in the presence of a moving yellow rubber glove
What did Guiton find?
The leghorn chicks imprinted on the yellow rubber gloves
What long term effects did Guiton find?
Male leghorn chicks tried to mate with rubber gloves when they had grown up, which suggests imprinting affects sexual, long-term development
What characteristic of imprinting has been criticised?
The irreversible nature
What research evidence challenged the irreversible view of imprinting?
Guiton found that he could reverse abnormal sexual development in his leghorn chicks by socialising them with other chicks
