animal studies

• who conducted the two main animal studies supporting attachment?

  1. lorenz
  2. harlow
• what did lorenz investigate?

  imprinting
• define imprinting

  innate need to attach to a living creature to survive
• what animal did lorenz study?

  goslings
• outline lorenz's method to investigate imprinting

  • hatched a group of geese
  • 1/2 were incubated and other 1/2 were left with their mother
  • once hatched, incubated geese imprinted on Lorenz
• explain lorenz's suggestions after his study

  • critical period in which imprinting must happen or it never happens
  • birds who imprinted on a human also were sexually imprinted on that human
• ❌ lorenz

  • study conducted with goose eggs
  • human attachment involves more complex processes
  • limited generalisability
• what did harlow study?

  effect of contact comfort in attachment formation
• what animal did harlow study?

  rhesus monkeys
• outline the method that harlow used to investigate animal attachment

  • 16 baby monkeys reared with two wire 'mothers'
  • one was a feeding bottle and the other covered in soft cloth
• explain the findings from harlow's study

  • monkeys sought comfort from cloth mother when frightened
  • comfort is a more important factor in attachment
• what was the wider application made from harlow's results?

  adult monkeys experienced social dysfunction, aggression, problems mating and poor parenting skills

  • being maternally deprived had lifelong consequences
• ❌ harlow

  • distressing conditions
  • e.g. isolation and lack of maternal care
  • questions moral implications
• ✅ lorenz

  • critical period of first 12 to 17 hours
  • biologically programmed period for attachment to form
  • high explanatory value
• ✅ lorenz

  • application to breeding programs and care
  • early attachment plays a key role in healthy development
  • valuable insight
• ✅ harlow

  • contact comfort
  • emotional security is more important than food
  • challenges early behaviourist ideas
• ✅ harlow

  • real-world application
  • e.g. institutions
  • improve child-care by importance of emotional care and comfort