animal studies of attachment

• Lorenz study method:

  • he randomly divided goose eggs into two halves
  • one half hatched with the mother
  • one hatched in an incubator and the first moving object they saw was Lorenz
  • he marked each gosling to indicate which group of eggs they were and he observed who they followed
• Lorenz study findings:

  • the group hatched with their actual mother, followed her
  • the group that hatched with Lorenz, followed him
  • this is called imprinting
  • geese have a critical period of 13-30 hours as it’s essential for survival
• Imprinting happens when bird species that are mobile from birth follow the first moving object they see
• Lorenz study long lasting effects:

  • there was a relationship between imprinting and adult mate preferences
  • birds would try to mate with the same species they imprinted on
• Harlow study method:

  • in a controlled environment, monkeys were separated from their mothers immediately
  • IV: wire mother that dispensed food, cloth covered monkey with no food
  • there was also a fearful moving object
  • DV: time spent with each mother was recorded
• Harlow study findings:

  • monkeys spent more time with the cloth mother (23 out of 24 hours)
  • they would only go to the wire monkey when hungry
  • during the fearful moving object the monkeys ran to the cloth mother
  • the monkeys preferred comfort and security over food
• Harlow study long lasting effects:

  • maternal deprivation
  • they were more timid
  • they were easily bullied or aggressive
  • they had difficulty with mating
  • the females were inadequate mothers
• Evaluations of animal studies into attachment:

  ☹️ problems generalising to humans

  🙂 practical applications

  ☹️ evidence to contradict Lorenz

  ☹️ methodological issues with Harlow

  🙂 scientific