Lorenz

• Lorenz's research - Aim

  • Investigate the mechanics of imprinting
• Lorenz's research - Method

  • Divided goose eggs into 2 groups, half left with the mother, half with himself (him being the first living thing they saw)
  • documented their behaviour after they hatched
• Lorenz's research - Findings

  • His goslings imprinted onto him, following him and showing no recognition of their mother even when mixed together
• Lorenz's research - Conclusion

  • Early attachment is irreversible and long lasting
• Lorenz's implications

  • Imprinting
  • later implications
• Imprinting

  • an innate readiness to develop a strong bond with the mother
• Later implications

  • if they didnt implant in a 'critical period' then it didnt happen at all
  • birds would develop sexual preference based on who/what they imprinted on
• (Lorenz) + Research support

  • rubber glove study where chicks implanted on a rubber glove and tried to mate with other gloves when they were older
• (Lorenz) - Contradiciting evidence

  • throughout repeated socialisation attempts, the birds were able to form 'typical' relationships contradicting the study's imprinting critical period
• (Lorenz) - Generalisability to humans

  • questionsable as to whether the behaviour of birds can be generalised and applied to that of human development