A03

• What are the strengths of Lorenz’s research?

  1. Additional research support for imprinting
• What are the limitations of Lorenz’s research?

  1. Criticism of imprinting
• Strength (Lorenz) = additional research support for imprinting

  • A number of other studies have demonstrated imprinting in animals
  • Guiton (1966) found that chicks exposed to yellow rubber gloves whilst being fed during their first few weeks, became imprinted on the gloves
  • He also found that the male chickens later tried to mate with the gloves, showing that early imprinting is linked to later reproductive behaviour
• Limitation (Lorenz) = criticism of imprinting

  • It was accepted that imprinting is an irreversible process, whereby the object encountered was somehow stamped permanently on the nervous system
  • However, it is now understood that imprinting is a more ‘plastic and forgiving mechanism’
  • Guiton (1966) also found that he could reverse the imprinting in chickens that had initially tried to mate with the rubber gloves
  • Later, after spending more time with their own species, they were able to engage in more normal sexual behaviour with other chickens
• What is a strength of Harlow’s research?

  1. Practical applications
• What is a limitation of Harlow’s research?

  1. Ethical issues
• Strength (Harlow) = practical applications

  • The insight into attachment from Harlow’s research has had important applications in a range of practical contexts
  • E.g. it has helped social workers understand risk factors in child neglect and abuse and so intervene to prevent it
  • In addition, the findings have been important in the care of captive monkeys - we now understand the importance of proper attachment figures for baby monkeys in zoos and also in breeding programmes in the wild
• Limitation (Harlow) = ethical issues

  • Harlow faced severe criticisms for the ethics of his research
  • The baby monkeys were deliberately deprived from their mothers from birth and this created lasting emotional harm as the monkeys later found it difficult to form relationships with their peers
  • HOWEVER - on the other hand, the experiment can be justified in terms of the significant effect it has had on our understanding of the processes of attachment and it has been used to offer better care for human (and primate) infants
• What is the general limitation of animal studies?

  1. Difficulty generalising animal studies to humans
• General limitation = difficulty generalising animal studies to humans

  • Psychologists disagree on the extent to which studies of animals can be generalised to humans
  • Humans differ from animals in important ways - much more of our behaviour is governed by conscious decisions and so attachment behaviours may be different
  • Although animal studies can be useful pointers in understanding human behaviour we must always seek confirmation by looking at research with humans