Animal studies

• Who are the two key researchers for animal studies of attachment?

  Lorenz & Harlow
• What were Lorenz's procedures?

  Randomly divided a clutch of goose eggs into 2 groups - half raised w/ the mother & half in an incubator (Lorenz was the first thing goslings saw after hatching)
• What were Lorenz's findings?

  Incubator group followed Lorenz everywhere & control group followed mother, even after mxing
• What is imprinting?


  Birds attach to and follow the first moving object they see
• What is the critical period?

  Time period in which imprinting must take place, or it won't take place at all

  If imprinting does not occur within that time, Lorenz found that chicks did not form attachment bond at all
• How long is the critical period for geese?

  4-25 hrs
• What is sexual imprinting?

  Lorenz also investigated relationship b/w imprinting & adult male preferences

  -> Imprinting often lead to courtship behaviour later displayes

  Peacock imprinted on giant tortoise & later only showed courtship behaviour to giant tortoise
• What were Harlow's procedures?

  16 baby rhesus monkeys separated from mothers & reared w/ 2 surrogate 'mothers'

  One = just wire, other was wire & soft cloth & heated

  Two conditions - wired dispensed milk

  - cloth dispensed milk
• What were Harlow's findings?

  Baby monkeys spent most of time w/ soft, cloth covered monkey regardless of where milk was coming from

  Sought comfort from cloth mother e.g. when frightened

  Mothers raised w/ wired monkeys had diarrhoea due to stress
• What did Harlow conclude about maternal deprivation?

  Monkeys deprived of mother suffered from severe consequences, especiallly those reared w/ wired mother

  -> less sociable, more aggressive, bred less, neglected, attacked & sometimes killed their young

  -> However could recover if socialised w/ other monkeys within first three months
• What were Harlows conclusions?

  Creature comfort is vital for attachment & social development