ATTATCHMENT- animal studies (Harlow and Lorenz) Flashcards
What was the aim of Harlow’s study?
to show that the mother love (attachment)was not based on the feeding bond between mother and infant as predicted by learning theory
When was Harlow’s study conducted?
1959
What was the procedure for Harlow’s study?
-created two wire mothers each with a different ‘head’
-one wire mother was wrapped in cloth
-8 infant rhesus monkeys were studied for 165 days
-for 4 of the monkeys the milk bottle was on the cloth covered mother and for the other 4 it was on the wire mother
-the amount of time each infant spent with the two different mothers was recorded
-observations were made when the infants were frightened
What were the results of Harlow’s study ?
-all 8 monkeys spent most of their time with the cloth covered mother despite the mother not having a feeding bottle for 4 of them
-the monkeys that fed from the wire mother went straight back to the cloth covered mother
-when frightened the monkeys clung to the cloth covered mother
- when playing with new objects the monkeys often kept one foot on the cloth covered mother for reassurance
In conclusion, what did Harlow’s study find?
That the infants do not develop an attachment to the person who feeds them but to who provides them with contact comfort
What were the long-term effects of Harlow’s study?
-Motherless monkeys (even if they were offered contact comfort) developed abnormally
-They were socially abnormal, they froze or fled when approached by other monkeys
-They were sexually abnormal, they did not develop normal mating behaviour and did not cradle their own babies
-The motherless monkeys seemed to recover if they were under 3 months but did not recover having 6 months with the wire mother
When was Lorenz’s study conducted?
1935
What is imprinting?
An innate readiness to develop a strong bond with the mother which takes place during a specific time in development probably the 1st few hours after birth, if this does not happen it’s not likely to develop
What was the aim of Lorenz’s study?
To test the effect of imprinting under relatively natural conditions (some manipulation)
What was the procedure of Lorenz’s study?
-Took a clutch of gosling eggs and divided them into two groups
-One group was left with their natural mother while the other group were placed in an incubator
-The incubator eggs hatched, and the first living thing they saw was Lorenz They started following him around
-To test the effect of imprinting Lorenz marked the two groups to distinguish them and placed them together, they had imprinted on him
-Both Lorenz and the natural mother were present
What were the results of Lorenz’s study?
-The goslings quickly divided themselves up
-1 following their natural mother
-1 following Lorenz
-Lorenz’s brood showed no recognition of their natural mother
-This process of imprinting is restricted to a very definite period of the young animal’s life, the critical period
-If young animals are not exposed to moving objects during the critical period the animal will not imprint
What did Lorenz’s study conclude?
-Animals can imprint on a persistently present moving object seen within their first 2 days
-Imprinting is a process similar to attachment in that it binds a young animal to a caregiver in a special relationship
-Lorenz did observe that imprinting to humans does not in some animals
What are the long-term effects of Lorenz’s study?
-Imprinting is irreversible and long-lasting
-Had an effect on later mate preferences (sexual imprinting), they mate with the same kind of object upon which they are imprinted
Give 3 strengths of Animal studies:
Humans and monkeys are similar bilogically- All mammals have the same brain structure as humans
Imprinting is reliable- Other studies such as Guition (1966) showed that animals are not born with predisposition to imprint on a specific object but probably on any type of object that moves during the critical period, has been repeated
Has important practical applications- Can be applied in childcare settings, all childrens needs need to be met, Physical needs are not the oinly needs
Give 2 weaknesses of Animal studies:
Results cannot be generalised to humans-It is unlikely that observations of goslings following a researcher or rhesus monkeys clinging to cloth-covered wire models reflects the emotional connections and interaction that characterises human attachments however schaffer and emmerson shows that the mammal is not attached to the person who feeds them
Research is unethical-the use of animals in research can be questioned on ethical grounds It could be argued that animals have a right not to be researched/ harmed as they cannot give consent. The animals had long lasting and irreversible effects.
