Lorenz & Harlow

• What is imprinting in animals?

  Attachment to the first moving object seen
• What is a critical period in imprinting?

  A specific time for imprinting to occur
• What does the idea of innate attachment suggest?

  Attachment occurs naturally after a short time
• Who conducted research on imprinting in 1935?

  Lorenz
• What was the aim of Lorenz's 1935 study?

  To investigate the mechanisms of imprinting
• How did Lorenz conduct his imprinting experiment?

  By splitting geese eggs into two groups
• What happened to the two groups of geese in Lorenz's study?

  They split into their original groups when mixed
• What did the 'Lorenz goslings' do as adults?

  They sought out Lorenz as their 'mother'
• What research supports Lorenz's idea of imprinting?

  Regolin & Vallortigara (1995)
• What did Regolin & Vallortigara (1995) find about chicks?

  They followed the original moving shape closely
• Why is generalizing Lorenz's findings to humans problematic?

  Mammalian attachment is more complex
• What was the aim of Harlow's 1958 study?

  To investigate the bond between monkeys and mothers
• How many baby rhesus monkeys were used in Harlow's study?

  16 baby rhesus monkeys
• What were the two types of 'mothers' in Harlow's experiment?

  One made of cloth and one made of wire
• What did Harlow observe about the monkeys' behavior?

  They preferred the cloth mother for comfort
• What did Harlow conclude about infant attachment?

  Infants need comfort more than food
• What is the real-world value of Harlow's research?

  Helps understand bonding risks in child development
• Why is it difficult to generalize Harlow's findings to humans?

  Human behavior is more complex than monkeys'
• How do rhesus monkeys compare to Lorenz's geese in terms of generalizability?

  Monkeys are more similar to humans than geese
• What is a strength for Lorenz’s research?

  Research Support

  • Regolin & Vallortigara (1995) supports Lorenz’s idea of imprinting
  • Chicks were exposed to simple shape combinations that moved in front of them and they followed the original most closely
  • This supports the view that young animals are born with an innate mechanism to imprint on a moving object present in the critical window of development
• What is a limitation for Lorenz’s research?

  Generalisability to Humans

  • The mammalian attachment system is quite different and more complex than in birds
  • In mammals, attachment is a 2-way process, and so mothers also show an emotional attachment to their young
  • This means that it is probably not appropriate to generalise Lorenz’s ideas to humans
• What is a limitation for Harlow’s research?

  Generalisability to Humans

  • It is difficult to generalise the findings and conclusions of Harlow’s research from monkeys to humans
  • Rhesus monkeys are much more similar to humans than Lorenz’s geese, however the human brain and human behaviour is still more complex than that of monkeys
  • This means that it may not be appropriate to generalise Harlow’s findings to humans
• What is a strength for Harlow’s research?

  Real World Value

  • It has helped social workers and clinical psychologists understand that a lack of bonding experience may be a risk factor in child development, allowing them to intervene to prevent poor outcomes
  • We also understand the importance of attachment figures for baby monkeys in zoos and breeding programmes in the wild
  • This means that the value of Harlow’s research is not just theoretical but also practical