Animal Studies of Attachment

• Why are psychologists interested in attachment in animals?

  Animals have similar behavior to humans, helping to understand human attachment.
• How can animal studies be beneficial in attachment research?

  They can be conducted in situations where it would be unethical to study humans.
• Who was Lorenz and what was his area of study?

  Lorenz was an ethologist who studied animals in their natural habitat.
• What is imprinting in the context of animal behavior?

  Imprinting is the tendency for newborn animals to quickly attach to the first animal or thing they see after birth.
• What were the aims and procedures of Lorenz's research on imprinting?

  • Aim: To investigate the mechanisms of imprinting.
  • Procedures:

  1. Two experimental conditions with greylag geese.
  2. Condition 1: Lorenz was the first thing they saw.
  3. Condition 2: The goose mother was the first thing they saw.
• What were the findings of Lorenz's research on imprinting?

  Chicks followed the first thing they saw, whether it was Lorenz or the goose mother.
• What is sexual imprinting as found in Lorenz's research?

  Imprinting also affects mating behavior, known as sexual imprinting.
• What is the critical period for imprinting according to Lorenz's findings?

  The critical period for imprinting is a few hours after hatching.
• What conclusion did Lorenz draw from his research on imprinting?

  Animals have an innate ability to attach to and recognize their caregiver, which is evolutionary for survival.
• What is a limitation of generalizing Lorenz's findings to humans?

  It is difficult to extrapolate animal research to humans, which may limit the applicability of the results.
• What contradictory findings were presented by Guiton (1966) regarding imprinting?

  Guiton found that chickens imprinted on yellow washing gloves preferred to mate with other chickens, suggesting imprinting may not have a permanent effect.
• How could Guiton's findings be interpreted regarding the nature of imprinting?

  It could be argued that animals can only learn to prefer things that look similar to the thing they have imprinted on.
• What are the practical applications of Lorenz's research on imprinting?

  • Introducing migratory birds into areas where they have become extinct.
  • Helping farmers with orphan lambs.
• What was Harlow's aim in his research on attachment?

  To test the learning theory of attachment by examining if monkeys preferred comfort over food.
• What were the procedures used in Harlow's research with surrogate mothers?

  • Constructed two surrogate mothers: a wire mesh monkey and a soft cloth monkey.
  • 16 baby Rhesus monkeys were put into four conditions:

  1. Wire mother with food vs. cloth mother with no food.
  2. Wire mother with no food vs. cloth mother with food.
  3. Only wire mother with food.
  4. Only cloth mother with food.
• What were the findings of Harlow's research regarding baby monkeys' preferences?

  Baby monkeys preferred the cloth mother regardless of whether she produced milk.
• How did baby monkeys react when frightened in Harlow's study?

  They would cling to the cloth mother when frightened.
• What conclusion did Harlow draw from his research on attachment in Rhesus monkeys?


  Rhesus monkeys have an innate need for comfort, suggesting attachment is more about emotional security than food.
• What were the findings of Harlow's "Pit of Despair" study on maternal deprivation?

  • Monkeys deprived of a real mother became more aggressive, less social, and incapable of breeding.
  • They became poor parents, neglecting or abusing their offspring.
• What did Harlow conclude about the introduction of a mother after maternal deprivation?

  A mother must be introduced within 90 days or damage is irreversible.
• What is a limitation regarding the differences between the two surrogate mothers in Harlow's study?

  The two mothers differed in more than just the presence of cloth, which could be a confounding variable.
• What ethical concerns are raised by Harlow's research?

  The research could be considered unethical due to the stress and fear inflicted on the monkeys.
• Why might Harlow's findings be difficult to generalize to humans?

  Humans may have a more complex or different bond compared to monkeys.
• What are the practical applications of Harlow's research on attachment?

  • Helps social workers understand the effects of neglect on human children.