animal studies of attachment

Question 1

Imprinting-
What is it?

Answer 1

-Instincitve emotional bond w the first object they see

Question 2

What is filial imprinting?

Answer 2

-young animals attach to first moving object they see and follow it around(learn
behaviour from this parent)
-called critical period

Question 3

what is Sexual imprinting?

Answer 3

-adult animals form an opinion of what a desirable mate would be based on what they imprinted on as a youngster
(courtship behaviour)

Question 4

what is a ethologist ?

Answer 4

scientific study of animal behaviour

Question 5

What were the procedures in Lorenz’s research?

Answer 5

-randomly divided large clutch of goose eggs
-half hatched with mother
-other half saw lorenz as first moving object in incubator

Question 6

What were the findings in Lorenz’s research?

Answer 6

-incubator was experimental grp
-control grp was mother
-followed their parental figures even when mixed
-identified CRITICAL PERIOD few hrs after birth otherwise wont form attachment

Question 7

Positives of Lorenz’s research

Answer 7

(research support)
-regolin and velorrigara
-exposed chicks to simple shapes e.g triangle and rectangles
-shapes moved around
-chicks followed original shapes closely
-imprint onto moving objects within critical window
(More positives of Lorenz’s research)
-useful study on role of imprinting in attachment
-experiment = effects of different parents seen

Question 8

Negatives of Lorenz’s research?

Answer 8

-poor population validity- not fully applicable
-cant generalise to humans
-mammal attachment is more complex
-its a two way process
-young & mother have to become attached to eachother
(ethics)
-consent not possible- geese

Question 9

what did witte and sawka find out about sexual imprinting ?

Answer 9

-baby finches were more attracted to adults that looked like their parent
-zebra finches reared by unadorned parents but didnt show interest in feathers in potential mates

Question 10

What did Harlow’s research consist of?

Answer 10

-tested on rhesus monkeys
-was food or love more important?
-16 monkeys in cages w two mother wires

Question 11

Procedure in Harlow’s monkey experiment?

Answer 11

• condition 1= milk dispensed by plain wire mother
  -condition 2 = milk dispensed by cloth covered mother

Question 12

Findings of Harlows monkey experiment?

Answer 12

-baby sought comfort from cloth mother when frightened from noise regardless of what mother gave milk
-close contact more important then food when becoming attached

Question 13

What were the effects of maternal deprivation?
(growing up w/o a mother)

Answer 13

permanent negative effects:
-not much social behavior
-agressive
-bred less
-those who bred neglected the young

Question 14

Positives of Harlows Research

Answer 14

(critical period)
-mother figure must be introduced within 90 DAYS from birth for attachment
- impossible after
-damage from not attaching is irrevisabale
(real world value)
-psychologists understand mother-infant attachment
-importance of early RS for later adult RS (child rearing)
-social work = risks of neglect
-captive monkeys and breeding in wild

Question 15

Negatives of Harlows research
(it was pretty bad!!!)

Answer 15

-ethically wrong - not justified = physical and mental harm
-generalisablity to humans not appropriate
-monkeys suffered not allowed today!