Lorenz-animal studies

Question 1

A01

Outline Ethology

Answer 1

Ethologists conduct animal studies of the relationship between newborn animals & their mothers , their observations informed psychologists understanding of caregiver infant attachment in humans
Ethologist-Lorenz

Question 2

A01

Define Imprinting

Answer 2

When an animal strongly attaches to first moving object encountered.The animal will follow object.

Question 3

A01

Discuss Research:Lorenz(1935) Imprinting

Answer 3

Lorenz is an Ethologist- Observed phenomenon of imprinting as child, neighbour gave newly hatched duck that followed him

Question 4

A01

Outline the Procedure of Lorenz’s research

Answer 4

> lorenz set up experiment
Randomly divided half greylag goose egges
half eggs hatched by Lorenz using incubator
half hatched by mother( control group)

Question 5

A01

Outline Lorenz’s Findings

Answer 5

Goslings hatched by lorenz-imprinted on him & followed him
Goslings hatched naturally by mother-imprinted on mother & followed her
When 2 groups placed together half imprinted on lorenz continued to follow him
This phenomenon-called imprinting

control group-mother, experimental group-Lorenz

Question 6

A01

What does Lorenz’s research suggest?

Answer 6

Imprinting is a strong biological feature of attachment
when birds imprint-based on visual cues

Question 7

A01

What is the Critical period for attachment: Lorenz

Findings

Answer 7

32 hours
> If Goslings not find moving object to imprint on within 32 hours-will fail to form attachment(irreversible)
suggests-imprinting is strong evolutionary/ biological feature of attachments in birds & imprinting happened on large moving objects

Question 8

A01

Explain sexual Imprinting-refer to Lorenz

Answer 8

Lorenz investigated relationship between imprinting & adult mate preferences.
Observed that birds who imprinted on humans will display courtship behaviour
In case study-lorenz described peacock who was born surrounded by turtles, only desired to mate with turtles in later life.
Concluded-peacock undergrone sexual Imprinting

Question 9

A03

Generalisability to humans (limitations) A03

Limitation

Answer 9

ability to generalise to humans
>The mammalian attachment system is diff and complex to birds
>mammalian attachment- two way process Youngs don’t only become attached to mothers, mothers also show emotional attachments back
> cannot generalise/inappropriate

Question 10

A03

Research support for Imprinting

Strength

Answer 10

Regolin & vallortigara (1995) study supported Lorenz’s ideas of imprinting.
Chicks were exposed to shape combinations that moved
-chicks followed shapes
supports view-animals born with inate mechanism to imprint on first moving object