Animal studies

• Animal studies - Lorenz


  examine imprinting on non-humans

  grey goose eggs in two batches

  control group - first saw mum

  experimental group - incubated and first saw Lorenz (first large moving object)

  naturally hatched followed mother vs experiment group had no attachment to mother only to Lorenz

  critical period of 4-25hrs
• Animal studies - Harlow


  examine contact comfort in (16) baby monkeys

  4 separate conditions

  1. wire mother with milk & towelling w/o milk
  2. wire w/o milk & towelling with
  3. wire with
  4. towelling with

  preferred towelling undependent on milk - suggests attachment through security over food
• Lorenz AO3

  -cannot generalise as can't assume behaviours are the same

  -contradictory findings

  Guiton - chickens would imprint on yellow gloves and try to mate with them however with experience they would learn to prefer mating with other chicks

  imprinting not permanent
• Harlow AO3

  + practical value and real world application

  Howe - helped social workers understand abuse factors in children

  -ethics - emotional separation and distress

  -difficult to apply to humans