Lorenz goslings

• lorenz research - the theory

  lorenz was an ethologist who looked at the phenomenon of imprinting in goslings. imprinting is the idea that some species attach to the first moving object they see when they are born.
• lorenz research

  lorenz took a batch of 12 fertilised geese eggs and split them into two groups of six. one group (control group) remained with the mother until they hatched. the second group (experimental) was placed into an incubator and lorenz stayed close when they were due to hatch. he was to be the first moving object they saw. it was later observed that if you mixed the two groups they would automatically split into their original groups. the ' lorenz goslings ' were observed to follow him everywhere. even as adults they goslings still sought out lorenz as their mother
• lorenz research evaluation points

  - unethical: not ethical to steal geese eggs, wouldn't be done to humans

  - don't apply to people: goslings develop different to humans (not applicable )

  - sample size: 12 eggs, not representative of all goslings

  - controlled: use of control group, done in a lab

  - replicable: can redo the study to check findings

  - control EVs: high internal validity as you measure what's intended.
• lorenz evaluation strength

  one strength is that there are studies to support it. for example, guiton did a similar study on chickens where they imprinted on a rubber glove from birth. this means that it is not only goslings that imprint on the first moving object they see as other wild birds do the same. therefore, this is generalisable to all wild birds.
• guiton (1966)

  - found that hens imprinted onto a rubber glove. this lasted into adulthood where they even tried mating with the rubber glove. however, they eventually showed a preference for mating with other chickens