Lorenz Imprinting

• Who carried the imprinting study?

  Lorenz (1935)
• What was the procedure of Lorenz?

  • Lorenz took gosling eggs and put them separately into 2 groups.
  • One group was left with their biological mother and the other in an artificial incubator.
  • Lorenz was able to make sure that the goslings saw him and followed him around.
  • He put the 2 groups back together .
• What was the findings of Lorenz?

  • The goslings had imprinted on him despite not having their actual mother present.
  • Lorenz’s goslings did not recognise their natural goose mother.
  • Lorenz came up with the theory that it is limited to a critical period in which if the goslings do not imprint in two days' time, then they will not form an attachment.  
  • This can have an impact on mating preferences, which is called sexual imprinting.
  • These animals will then mate with the same kind of object they were imprinted with. 
• What was the conclusion of Lorenz?

  The study supports imprinting and that there is a critical period in which it occurs.
• What was a criticism of the study regarding the simplicity of animals?

  • Animal studies cannot generalise to humans as humans are capable of complex thought processes.
  • Human behaviour think consciously.
  • Humans have a much more helpless and incomplete brain compared to birds who have a more mature brain.
  • The bonding and growing takes much longer in humans.
  • Animal studies can be a helpful pointer but human studies should be replicated
• What is supporting evidence for the study?

  • Guiton et al (1966)
  • Leghorn chickens were fed by yellow rubber gloves for the first few weeks and they were imprinted on them as well.
  • This shows that young animals imprint on any moving object present during the critical period.
  • The chicks also tried to reproduce with the gloves
  • This shows a link between imprinting and reproductive behaviour.
• What else did Guiton find in his study?

  • Imprinting was originally seen as rigid but new research contradicts it as being quite flexible.
  • Guiton did another study where he reversed imprinting on the same chickens he used the yellow rubber gloves with.
  • The chickens spent time with non-exposed chickens
  • They engaged in normal sexual behaviour.
  • Lorenz’s behaviour is simplistic to take into account later learning.