Evaluating Bowlby's Theory of attachment Flashcards
Investigated imprinting: Goslings.
Describe method Lorenz experiment (1952).
Method: Lorenz divided a group of goose eggs into two groups:
One group was left with their natural mother.
The other group was placed in an incubator.
Lorenz made sure that when the eggs in the incubator hatched, he was the first moving object the goslings saw. After this, he marked the two groups and returned them to their natural mother.
what were the results from the Lorenz experiment ?
Results: The geese that had hatched in the incubator continued to follow him, while those who had hatched naturally continued to followed their mother.
what did Lorenz find psychologically?
Findings - Lorenz concluded that goslings are programmed to imprint onto the first moving object they see, highlighting the rapid formation of attachment in animals.
These bonds were irreversible and permanent (gosling would always be imprinted onto humans). Later found out that those that imprinted on humans would attempt to mate with humans as adult brids (sexual imprinting).
describe Harlow’s method
2 types of surrogate mother were constructed – a harsh ‘wire mother’ and a soft ‘towelling mother’. 16 baby monkeys were used;
1. A cage containing a wire mother producing milk and a towelling mother producing no milk.
2. A cage containing a wire mother producing no milk and a towelling mother producing milk.
3. A cage containing a wire mother producing milk
4. A cage containing a towelling mother producing milk.
The amount of time spent with each mother, as well as feeding time, was recorded.
The monkeys were frightened with a loud noise to test for mother preference during stress.
A larger cage was also used to test the monkeys’ level of exploration.
Describe Harlow’s findings?
Monkeys preferred contact with the towelling mother when given a choice of surrogate mothers, regardless of whether she produced milk; they even stretched across to the wire mother to feed while still clinging to the towelling mother.
Monkeys with only a wire mother had diarrhoea – a sign of stress
Frightened monkeys clung to the cloth mother, where she was available In the larger cage, monkeys explored more when a towelling mother was present
what did harlow conclude?
Rhesus monkeys have an innate, unlearned need for comfort, suggesting that attachment concerns emotional security more than food.
Contact comfort is associated with lower levels of stress and a willingness to explore, indicating emotional security.
who suggested this ?
if ‘imprinting’ in humans does not occur what are the concequences?
John Bowlby - His theory suggests that there is a critical period for developing an attachment (about 0 -2.5 years). If an attachment has not developed during this period, then the child will suffer from irreversible developmental consequences, such as reduced intelligence and increased aggression. (evolutionary theory)
Application of Lorenz to Bowlby’s theory
critical period
adapative
The process is confined to a very definite period … which in many cases is of extremely short duration.
It supports the view that having a biological basis for an attachment is adaptive as it promotes survival.
This would explain why goslings imprint after a matter of minutes due to their increased mobility; human babies are born immobile and therefore there is less call for them to form an attachment straight away, and so, this develops later (8-9 months).
what is extrapolation?
the action of estimating or concluding something by assuming that existing trends will continue or a current method will remain applicable.
human vs geese x generalised
A limitation of Lorenz
extrapolation
Lorenz conducted his study on imprinting on animals the greylag geese rather than humans.
Humans and animals (in this case, greylag geese) are physiological different.The way a human infant develops an attachment with their primary caregiver could be very different to the way a greylag geese forms an attachment with their primary caregiver, therefore the findingscannot be generalised.
Orpahange intelligence
Describe Goldfarb (1947).
To see whether time spent in an orphanage had a detrimental effect on intelligence in infants:
Studed 2 groups (Group 1 - spent few months in orphanage, Group 2 - spent 3 years in orphanage).
Infants given IQ tests until age of 12.
Found that Group 2 infants performed worse on IQ tests (scored 68) compared to Group 1 infants (scored 96). Group 2 children were also less social and more aggressive.
Lorenz and feature that it is a strength
outline PEEL for evaluation of Bowlbys theory (strength)
P-Lorenz research
E- Explain method and conclusion
E- counter arguement extrapolation
L- Critical period
Limitation of BT- rutter
P-One limitation of Bowlby’s theory comes from research by Rutter et al. (1998)
E-Rutter et al. (1998) carried out research on orphans who did not form an attachment during the critical period. Rutter found that when the children were adopted into UK or US families they were still able to form an attachment, but it took them longer to do so. He claimed that the idea of a critical period was wrong and therefore it should be called a ‘sensitive period’.
L-This matters because it suggests that Bowlby’s original theory is not correct, as children are still able to form an attachment after their critical period (contrary to what Bowlby claimed), but it takes them longer to do so.
