Animal studies

• Two animal research studies are:

  • Lorenz (Geese)
  • Harlow (Monkeys)
• Lorenz-AO1

  • Investigate the effects of 'imprinting' on goslings
  • Field experiment
  • Procedure: Randomly divided goose eggs, half were hatched with the goose mother, and the other half were with Lorenz, Lorenz recorded the behavior. Varied the time between birth and seeing a moving object so he could measure the critical period.
• Lorenz - AO3

  • Practical applications
  • Animal bias - human attachment more complex, humans more sophisticated towards infants, e.g. two way process, limiting the extent to which research can be used
  • Researcher bias - recorded his own observations, only include findings that would support his theory, lower internal validity, not truly measuring the effects of imprinting on attachment
• Harlow AO1

  • Food or comfort is more important in attachments
  • Lab experiment(controlled)
  • procedure -16 baby rhesus monkeys separated from mother, surrogate mother a wire mother with milk and cloth mother without milk, time spent with each was recorded, loud noise who the baby went to when stressed, long term effects recorded
  • findings -Cloth mother more time spent with, when frightened go to cloth mother, had emotional damage e.g. more timid, easily bullied, difficulty mating
  • conclusion -Contact comfort is most important factor
• Harlow AO3

  • Animal bias
  • Practical applications - principle of research that contact comfort is most important in formation of attachments, used by social workers to understand lack of bonding may be risk factor in child development, allowing to intervene to prevent poor outcomes
  • Ethical issues - monkeys suffered greatly, were frightened, had emotional issues later in life, sometimes died
• Lorenz A01 - pt2

  • Findings: Lorenz identified a critical period (12-17hrs) in which imprinting needs to take place if it didn't occur Lorenz suggests that chicks will not attach, attached to Lorenz would attempt to mate with humans
  • Conclusion: Imprint on first moving thing they see, critical period have to imprint or wont attach