Animal studies of attachment

• Lorenz‘ study (1935)


  Aim: to discover whether animals can be imprinted to humans
• Lorenz’ study

  Method: Divided a clutch of gosling eggs into two groups. Left one group with their mother and incubated the other so he was the first thing they saw when born.
• Lorenz’ study

  Findings: The goslings who stayed with their mother followed her, and the ones who hatched with Lorenz followed him
• Lorenz’ study

  Overview: Lorenz said the process of imprinting was two days, after this, no imprinting can occur. Imprinting is irreversible and long lasting
• Harlow’s study (1959)


  Aim: to demonstrate that attachment is not solely due to the feeding bond between infant + caregiver
• Harlow’s study

  Method: Eight monkeys separated from their mother at birth. Two surrogate mothers, one wire one cloth. Wire mother had food. Record how long each monkey spent with each mother. Monkeys frightened to see which they would go to
• Harlow’s study

  Findings: All 8 monkeys spent most time with the cloth mother. When frightened they clung to the cloth mother
• Harlow’s study

  Overview: Infants do not develop an attachment based on food but on emotional security