Animal Studies of Attachment

Question 1

Describe study on imprinting

Answer 1

1. Lorenz randomly divided a clutch of goose eggs
2. Half hatched with mother in natural environment, other half hatched in incubator where Lorenz was first moving object they saw

Question 2

What were the findings of Lorenz

Answer 2

1. Incubator group followed Lorenz
2. Control followed mother
3. Groups mixed and same findings
4. Imprinting: bird species mobile from birth follow first moving object they see
5. Critical period of a few hours, if no imprinting occurs no attachment forms

Question 3

Case study on sexual imprinting

Answer 3

1. Peacock raised in reptile house where first moving object was giant tortoise
2. As an adult bird would only show courtship behaviour to giant tortoises
3. Undergone sexual imprinting

Question 4

Problem with generalising Lorenz research

Answer 4

1. Mammalian attachment systems quite different to birds
2. For example mammalian mothers show more emotional attachments than birds do
3. Mammals may be able to form attachment at any time
4. Cannot generalise to mammals

Question 5

Evidence against sexual imprinting

Answer 5

1. Lorenz said imprinting has permanent effect of mating behaviour
2. Guiton et al. (1966) found chickens who imprinted on washing up gloves would try and mate with it
3. But later would learn with experience to mate with chickens

Question 6

Procedure of Harlows research

Answer 6

1958. Tested idea soft objects serve some of the function of a mother
1959. 16 baby monkeys with two wire model mothers
1960. In one condition milk dispensed from wire mother in other milk from cloth covered

Question 7

What were Harlows findings

Answer 7

Shows contact comfort more important than food when it came to attachment behaviour

Question 8

Describe maternally deprived monkeys

Answer 8

1. Harlow followed monkeys deprived of real mother to see if early maternal deprivation had permanent affect
2. Wire mother moneys slightly more dysfunctional than soft
3. Aggressive, less social and bred less
4. As mothers they neglected the young and attacked their children

Question 9

What was Harlows critical period

Answer 9

1. 90 days for attachment to form

2. After this attachment was impressive and damage done was irreversible

Question 10

Harlows theoretical value

Answer 10

1. Developed understanding of human mother-Infant attachment
2. Showed attachment was form comfort not for being fed
3. Showed importance of quality of early relationships on later social development

Question 11

Practical value of Harlows

Answer 11

1. Helped social workers understand risk of child neglect and abuse
2. Also care of captive monkeys in zoos and also breeding programs

Question 12

Ethical issues

Answer 12

1. Monkeys suffered greatly
2. Species similar enough to be able to generalise to humans so suffering also human like
3. Justified by the importance of his research (prevented human suffering)