Animal studies evaluation

• LIMITATION

  • problems with generalising animal behaviour to human psychology
  • humans and animals have very different biology, humans have various social and cultural experiences that influence their behaviour
  • limits the applicability of findings to human attachments
• STRENGTHS

  • Harlow's findings on contact comfort have been highly influential
  • Bowlby argued that infants crave comfort from their mothers to form monotropic relationship
  • if this fails, Bowlby argues the human infants will grow into adults with poor socialism
  • which relates back to the monkeys without a cloth mother
• STRENGTHS

  • practical applications of Harlow and Lorenz's work
  • findings from Bowlby have also been applied to early childcare
  • ex. after birth, immediate physical contact between the mother and their babies is encouraged
  • increases validity
• STRENGTH

  • Lorenz's findings on the critical period have been highly influential
  • Bowlby argued that there is a similar period for humans, 6 to 30 months
  • if attachment does not form in that time, it will result in serious social problems
  • however, it isn't easy to apply animal findings to humans. Later research found that this period is sensitive, not critical