Animal Studies

• Lorenz:

  :) practical applications

  > the principles of the research, that goslings have to imprint in 12-17 hours or they won't imprint at all, shows the importance of the critical period in attachment for future relationships

  > psychologists can promote the importance of early interactions between parents and infants to reduce issues in later life

  > important part of applied psychology
• Lorenz:

  :( animal bias

  > human attachment behaviour may be more complex than animals, as human emotions are more sophisticated towards their offspring

  > e.g. attachment in humans is a two-way process - both parent and infant form an emotional attachment with the other

  > issues with extrapolating findings, limiting the extent to which the research can be used to explain human attachments
• Lorenz:

  :( researcher bias

  > recorded his own observations - may have chosen to only include findings that would support his theory of imprinting or ignore findings, such as goslings that did not imprint on him

  > lower internal validity
• Harlow:

  :) practical applications

  > the principles of the research, that comfort is most important in the formation of attachment, have been used to highlight risk factors and find prevention strategies for poor human attachments

  > used in understanding a lack of bonding experience may be a risk factor in development, allowing them to intervene to prevent poor outcomes e.g. poor future relationships

  > important part of applied psychology
• Harlow:

  :( animal bias

  > this is potentially a problem because human attachment may be more complex than animal attachment, as human emotions are more sophisticated towards their offspring

  > issues with extrapolating the findings to attachment to humans, limiting the extent to which they can be used
• Harlow:

  :( ethical issues

  > monkeys suffered as a result of Harlow's procedures - were frightened, had social issues in later life and sometimes died

  > limiting Harlow's research into attachment in animals

  discussion - argument that the importance of the findings outweighed the distress caused to the monkeys, as at the time there was a dominant belief that attachment was due to food rather than comfort