Animal Studies Of Attachment

Question 1

who are the two researchers in animal studies?

Answer 1

Lorenz and Harlow

Question 2

what was Lorenz’ experiment?

Answer 2

• large clutch of greylag goose eggs were split into two batches
• one hatch hatched naturally with mother, whilst the other hatched in an incubator and Lorenz was the first moving object they saw
• immediately after birth, the naturally hatched baby goslings followed their mother, while the incubator gosling followed Lorenz

Question 3

what is the critical period for geese?

Answer 3

first few hours after birth/ hatching

Question 4

what is imprinting?

Answer 4

innate readiness to develop a strong bond with the mother

Question 5

what is the critical period?

Answer 5

a specific time in which imprinting needs to take place

Question 6

what was Harlow’s experiment?

Answer 6

• 16 Rhesus monkeys
• reared baby monkeys with two wire mothers
• one plain-wire with a feeding bottle attached
• one cloth-covered mother without feeding bottle
• lab experiment

Question 7

what was Harlow measuring?

Answer 7

• time spent with mothers
• fear response to a noisy mechanical bear

Question 8

what did Harlow find?

Answer 8

• monkeys spent more time with the cloth monkey and would cling to it when frightened
• shows contact comfort is more important that food

Question 9

what happened to the monkeys if they failed to imprint in the critical period?

Answer 9

• as adults they were more aggressive, less sociable and less skilled in mating
• they neglected and even killed their own offspring

Question 10

what is the critical period for Rhesus monkeys?

Answer 10

90 days

Question 11

what is sexual imprinting?

Answer 11

Lorenz
- peacock was reared in a reptile house of a zoo
- giant tortoises were the first moving object that the peacocks saw
- as an adult this bird would only direct courtship to giant tortoises