attachment - animal studies Flashcards
lorenz animals
geese/goslings
harlow animals
monkeys
Lorenz - AO1
aim
to investigate effect of imprinting on goslings
Lorenz - AO1
method
- field experiment
- manipulated IV
- natural environment
Lorenz - AO1
procedure
- randomly divided goose eggs
- control group: hatched in natural environment with mother
- experimental group: hatched in incubator - first moving thing they saw = lorenz
- recorded behaviour of goslings/who they imprinted on
- varied time after birth and seeing moving object to measure critical period
- once hatched groups were mixed up to see who they imprinted on
Lorenz - AO1
findings
- experimental group (saw lorenz first) imprinted/followed lorenz everywhere
- control group (saw mother first) imprinted/followed mother everywhere
- critical period identified (12-17 hours after hatching)
- if goslings did not attach during critical period, will not attach to mother figure at all
- sexual imprinting: adult birds attempted to mate with lorenz
Lorenz - AO1
conclusion
- goslings imprint on first moving object that they see
- specific time period this needs to take place (critical period)
- or will not attach at all
Lorenz strength - AO3
practical applications
P - strength
- practical application
E - lorenz identified critical period of 12-17 hours where goslings have to attach
- or they will not attach at all
- sexual imprinting: those who imprinted on lorenz tried mating with him as adult birds
- shows importance of critical period on future relationships
E - used to encourage early interactions between infant and caregiver
- to reduce later life issues
L - important part of applied psych
Lorenz weakness - AO3
animal bias
P - criticism
- animal bias
- conducted on goslings
E - human attachment behaviour is more complex
- e.g. more sophisticated emotions towards offspring
E - e.g. two way process (reciprocity)
- mothers also attach to infant
- as well was infants attaching to mothers
L - difficult to extrapolate/generalise findings to humans
Lorenz criticism - AO3
researcher bias
P - criticised for researcher bias
E - lorenz recorded his own observation on goslings
E - may have only included behaviour that fits his theory of imprinting
L - lowers internal validity
- not measuring what effects of imprinting on attachment
Harlow - AO1
aim
to investigate the effects of food and comfort on attachment
Harlow - AO1
method
lab experiment (controlled observation)
Harlow - AO1
procedure
- 16 baby rhesus monkeys separated from their mothers at birth
- placed with surrogate mothers (wired mother WITH milk and cloth mother NO MILK)
- cloth mother = comfort
- wired mother = food
- recorded time spent with each mother
- monkeys were frightened with loud noise to see which mother was preferred when stressed
- long term effects were measured e.g. sociability and future relationships with offspring
Harlow - AO1
findings
- most time spent with cloth mother
- cloth mother preferred when frightened
- emotional damage e.g. difficulty mating, timid, easily bullied, females being inadequate mothers
Harlow - AO1
conclusion
contact comfort is more important when forming an attachment
