Animal studies of attachment

Question 1

Lorenz’s research

Aim

Answer 1

understanding mother-infant attachment in humans

Question 2

Imprinting

Definition

Answer 2

birds mobile from birth attach to and follow the first moving object they see

Question 3

Lorenz’s research

Procedure and findings

Answer 3

Procedure
└randomly divided goose eggs
└half hatched with mother (control group)
└half hatched in incubator- first moving object was Lorenz (experimental group)

Findings 
└control group followed mother
└incubator group followed Lorenz
  └even when mixed together 
└critical period= few hours or no attachment

Question 4

Sexual imprinting

Case study

Answer 4

└if imprinted on humans- later show courtship behaviour towards humans
└Lorenz (1952)- case study: peacock to giant tortoises

Question 5

Lorenz’s research
Limitations
Summary

Answer 5

Can’t generalise to humans

Questionable observations - Guiton et al (1966)

Question 6

Lorenz’s research
Limitations
Can’t generalise to humans

Answer 6

└different mammalian attachment system than birds

└mammals form attachment any time, more affectionate

Question 7

Lorenz’s research
Limitations
Questionable observations

Answer 7

└Guiton et al (1966)
└if imprinted on yellow washing up gloves would try mating with them
└after experience would mate with normal chickens
└ =not permanent effect

Question 8

Harlow’s research

Aim

Answer 8

understanding of attachment

Question 9

Harlow’s research

Procedure and findings

Answer 9

└Harlow (1958)
└16 baby monkeys reared with 2 wire model mothers
└condition 1- milk from wire mother
└condition 2- milk from cloth mother
└preferred cloth, even when didn’t dispense milk
└contact comfort>food

Question 10

Maternally deprived monkeys as adults

Answer 10

└followed monkeys deprived of real mother into adulthood
└neither had normal behaviour- though wire mothers were worse
└less sociable, bad at mating, neglect/kill offspring

Question 11

Critical period for normal development

Answer 11

└critical period= 90 days for attachment to form

└after this time attachment impossible-damage done

Question 12

Harlow’s research

Strengths (2)

Answer 12

Theoretical value
└how quality of early relationship is important for later development- adult relationships/children

Practical value
└Howe (1998)- social workers understood consequences of neglect and abuse so intervened
└important in care of captive monkeys in zoos

Question 13

Harlow’s research

Limitations (2)

Answer 13

Ethical issues
└monkeys suffered greatly- human like
└although research important

Cant generalise to humans
└more similar than Lorenz’s geese but not human