AO3: Animal Studies into Attachment

• One strength of Lorenz's research is that there is research to support. This is a strength as it makes Lorenz's research more reliable. For example, Leghorn chicks exposed to to yellow rubber gloves (used to feed them) in the first few weeks of life imprinted on them. Male leghorns also tried to mate with the yellow gloves later in life. This supports imprinting in Lorenz's research but also how early attachment impacts adult relationships.
• One weakness of Lorenz's research is that imprinting may not ne as long lasting as originally thought. It doesn't place an irreversible stamp on our nervous system. Later research suggests that after spending time with their own species, the effects can be reversed. For example, the male leghorns were able to engage in normal sexual behaviour after being exposed to their own species. This therefore disproves Lorenz when he said that after the critical period more attachment is unlikely to form. Imprinting is similar to learning in that we can learn and unlearn it with little conscious effort.
• One weakness of Harlow's research is low internal validity. His research was impacted by confounding variables; the two heads differed, the monkeys might have found the cloth mother's face more comforting than the wire monkey's. Therefore Harlow's findings may not be representative how monkeys form attachments.
• A strength of Harlow's research is the use of non-human animals. Animal studies can be useful when looking at human behaviour. This is because NHA behaviour is usually 'simpler' and therefore easier to interpret. For example in Harlow's research he was able to find the impact of privation in a controlled setting. This can therefore be applied to humans who have experienced this. However, we need more clarification before applying these findings to humans as human behaviour is governed by conscious decisions. Therefore animal studies may not be useful due to differences between humans and NHAs.
• There are ethical concerns with Harlow's research. When reintroduced to other monkeys, the babies were scared of them and became very aggressive towards them. They were also unable to to communicate or socialise with the other monkeys. The other monkeys bullied them. They indulged in self-mutilation, tearing hair out, scratching and biting themselves. Harlow created a state of anxiety in female monkeys which had implications when they became parents. Such monkeys became so neurotic that they smashed their infant's face into the floor, killing their own young.
• However, it is more ethical than doing the study on humans and allows insights we could not get with human research. It led to changes in how we treat human infants. Therefore it helped more people than there were monkeys harmed.