Attachment - Animal Studies: Lorenz

Question 1

Imprinting

Answer 1

• Imprinting - 1952 Lorenz observes imprinting when he received a hatched duckling than followed him around

Question 2

Imprinting experiment

Answer 2

• Set up experiment he randomly divided a clutch of goose eggs half with mother half with Lorenz

Question 3

Imprinting findings

Answer 3

• Found that the baby geese who saw Lorenz first, followed him around.
• The baby geese who hatched and saw their mother first, followed her around
• When both groups were mixed, the same chicks continued to follow Lorenz and other group continued to follow their mother

Question 4

Sexual imprinting

Answer 4

• Lorenz also found imprinting related to adult mate preferences
• Observed that birds who imprinted on a human would often later display courtship behaviour towards humans
• Example, a peacock raised in a reptile zoo who saw tortoises as an imprinting figure later developed mate behaviour towards them.

Question 5

Critical period

Answer 5

• Lorenz identified a critical period in which imprinting must take place.
• Depending on species, can be a few hours after birth
• If imprinting does not occur within the time, chicks do not attach to a mother figure