Animal Studies Of Attachment

Question 1

What was Lorenz’s study?

Answer 1

• divided a clutch of goose eggs
• half were hatched with mother goose
• other half were hatched in a incubator where the first moving object they saw was Lorenz

Question 2

Lorenz’s study findings

Answer 2

• the control group followed the mother goose and the experimental group followed Lorenz
• they imprinted on Lorenz as he was the first moving object they saw during the critical period

Question 3

Lorenz and sexual imprinting

Answer 3

• he observed that birds that imprinted on humans would often display later courtship behaviour towards humans

Question 4

Harlow’s research (1958)

Answer 4

• 16 baby monkeys with two wire model ‘mothers’
• In one condition milk was dispensed by the plain wire mother
• in the other condition milk was dispensed from a clothed mother

Question 5

Harlow’s research findings

Answer 5

• the baby monkey showed preference to the clothed mothers and sought comfort from them when frightened, regardless of which mother dispersed milk
• shows contact comfort was more important than food when it came to attachment behaviour

Question 6

Harlow’s critical period

Answer 6

Within 90 days

Question 7

Maternally deprived monkeys as adults

Answer 7

• the monkeys reared with the plain wire mother only were the most dysfunctional
• however even those reared by the cloth covered mother did not develop normal social behaviour
• these deprived monkeys were more aggressive, bred less, less sociable, some neglected their young or attack them

Question 8

Criticism - Lorenz generalisability (w/ counterpoint)

Answer 8

• only studied non humans can’t generalise to humans
• birds show different attachment patterns than mammals e.g critical period
• caution should be applied when drawing wider conclusions from the results
• however it was highly influential e.g that stat he t happens within a specific time frame

Question 9

Criticism - chicken study

Answer 9

• doubts on some of his conclusions from his research on imprinting
• chickens saw washing up gloves as the first moving object
• however Guiton et al said the children cleans will eventually learn to mate with other chickens
• suggest that imprinting may not be as permanent as thought to be

Question 10

Harlow’s research - real life applications

Answer 10

• ## Howe said that it is practical in helping social workers to understand risk factors in neglect and abuse cases and to recognise when to intervene

Question 11

Criticism of Harlow - ethics (w/ counterpoint)

Answer 11

• monkey suffered greatly in terms of emotional separation form their biological mothers at such an early age
• this species of primate are said to be sufficiently human like so the psychological harm they endured are similar to that of a human baby
• however cost benefit analysis, benefits outward the costs as his research was insightful on the understanding of attachment