Lorenz’s Geese

• What was the procedure of Lorenz’s study?

  • divided a large culture of goose eggs
  • 50% of eggs raised with their mother in a natural environment
  • 50% of eggs raised in an incubator and the first living thing they saw was Lorenz
• Findings of Lorenz’s Study?

  • incubator geese followed Lorenz around everywhere
  • Natural group followed their goose mother around
  • this is called imprinting -> when ducks/geese attach to the first living object
• What was the procedure of Lorenz’s Research -> Sexual Imprinting

  • investigated relationship between imprinting and adult mate preference
  • Observed birds that imprinted on humans displayed courtship behaviour to humans
• what was Lorenz’s case study in 1952

  • peacock had been reared in the reptile house of a zoo where the first moving object the peacock saw was a giant tortoise.
  • as an adult the peacock would display courtship behaviour to the tortoises.

  conclusion: peacock had undergone sexual imprinting
• what is the definition of imprinting?

  newly-hatched goslings attached to the first moving object
• what is the definition of sexual imprinting?

  birds showing courtship behaviour (finding a mate) towards whatever species they imprint on
• what is the definition of ’critical period’?

  the time period where the imprinting must occur after birth
• Strength of Lorenz


  research support - Regolin & Vallotigara 1955

  • baby chicks shown a moving shape.
  • afterwards shown variations of the moving shape and the followed the original the best/closest

  conclusion: supports the view of young animals are born with an innate mechanism to imprint on an object present in the critical period of development
• Limitation of Lorenz


  not generalisable - not appropriate to try and generalise

  • birds and humans attachment are different as mammals are more complex & is a two way process - as mammal mothers are capable of more emotions and functions
• Another Research Support for Lorenz

  Guiton 1966 -

  • Chicks were fed with a rubber glove
  • The chicks imprinted on the rubber glove

  conclusion: supports the idea that young animals imprint on moving objects and early imprinting is linked to reproductive behaviour
• another Limitation of Lorenz

  Guiton -> reversibility of behaviour

  • reproductive behaviour could be reversed if the young chicks spent more time with their species & females so there is shown normal sexual behaviour