Lorenz

• Aim

  To investigate imprinting
• Procedure

  group of goslings hatch with mother present and a group of experimental goslings hatch when Lorenz is present
• findings

  • control group- followed mother around
  • experimental group- followed Lorenz around
• conclusion

  there’s a critical period where animals imprint and if it doesn’t, after the critical period it cannot imprint at all. also found birds that imprint can display courtship rituals towards animals similar to who they Imprinted on- sexual imprinting
• evaluation

  • less applicable to humans- humans are more complex and have feelings
  • research suggesting imprinting can be unlearnt- Guiton Et al- chickens who imprinted on gloves showed courtship behaviour to gloves at first but learnt to mate with other chickens- Lorenz overstated the effects of imprinting