Animal studies of attachment Flashcards
What was the aim of Lorenz’ study?
To investigate the mechanisms of imprinting where the youngsters follow and form and attachment to the first largest object they see
Procedure of Lorenz?
He split a clutch of greylag goose eggs into 2 batches- one which hatched naturally and other hatched into an incubator making sure Lorenz was the first large object the geese saw moving. Once the image of Lorenz had been imprinted the change was irreversible. The behaviour was recorded
Lorenz findings?
Immediately after the birth the naturally hatched geese followed their mother while the ones hatched from the incubator followed Lorenz
Imprinting takes place between 4 and 25 hours after hatching
Goslings who imprinting on humans would attempt to, in later life, mate with humans
When was Lorenz’ study?
1935
Lorenz’s conclusion?
Imprinting is a form of attachment exhibited mainly to nidifugous birds whereby close contact is kept with the first large moving object encountered
Evaluation of Lorenz’s study?
Imprinting= irreversible therefore under biological control as learned behaviour can be modified by experience
Unlikely to show how human attachments form as human attachments develop over a longer time-quality of care is more important
Humans are altricial and birds are precocial
Bowlby’s experiment supports this study
Aim of Harlow’s experiment?
To test the learning theory by comparing attachment behaviour in baby monkeys given a wire surrogate mother producing milk compared to a soft towelling surrogate mother producing no milk
Harlow procedure?
2 types of surrogate mothers- 16 baby monkeys - 4 in each conditions. 1. A cage containing a wire mother producing milk and a soft producing no milk 2. vice versa 3. only a wire mother producing milk 4. only a soft mother producing milk. The amount of time spent with each mother was recorded. The monkeys were frightened by a loud noise to test mother preference during stress. A large cage was used to test monkey degree of exploration
Harlow findings?
Monkeys preferred contact with towelling mother when given the choice regardless of whether she produced milk- even stretched across to soft mother while feeding off wire mother. Monkeys with wire mother only had diarrhoea (sign of stress)
When frightened monkeys clung to soft mother if available
In larger cage monkey with soft mother explored more and then visited mother more often
Harlow’s conclusion?
Monkeys have an innate, unlearned need for contact comfort suggesting that attachment concerns emotional security more than food
Evaluation of Harlow’s study?
Cannot generalise to humans- humans= altricial and animals= precocial
Separation of monkeys caused distress/ psychological damage e.g. tearing hair out and monkeys growing up to be abusive and neglectful parents
Monkeys are however humans closest animal relative
Harlow et al 1965?
Raised monkeys in isolation for 3,6, 12 or 24 months
Monkeys displayed psychological damage e.g. rocking and hugging themselves
When placed with other monkeys they were fearful and tried to attack them
Wanted to see how monkeys would cope as parents - they were forcibly mated- rape rack- the monkeys would chew off their babies feet while another crushed her baby’s head
What is imprinting?
Imprinting is the young forming an attachment to the first large moving object they see.
Practical development of Harlow study?
Sackett believed that Harlow’s research was so unethical that the American animal liberation was born out of it
