animal studies

• Lorenz (1952):

  • aimed to look at imprinting/how attachments are formed
  • divided a cluch of goose eggs. Half stayed & hatched in the presence of their mother, the other half stayed & hatched in the presence of Lorenz
  • control group (hatched with mother) followed their mother around, the experimental group followed Lorenz around
  • the 2 groups were put together, it was found that both groups went to the first object they saw moving (mother/Lorenz)
  • animals attach to the first moving object they see
  • attachments are innate & help survival
• Harlow (1958):

  • observed 8 caged rhesus monkeys (caged since infancy)
  • monkeys were exposed to a plain wire mother who dispensed milk or a cloth covered wire monkey
  • found the monkeys spent more time with the cloth mother. When getting food from the wire mother, monkeys would cling to the cloth mother
  • the monkeys sought comfort & attached to the cloth mother
  • attachments are built on contact-comfort. They are not innate, they are emotional.
• Lorenz & Harlow - differences:

  • Lorenz: attachments are needed for survival. They are innate in all people.
  • Harlow: attachments are for emotional reasons, they provide comfort.
• AO3:

  • research support (Lorenz): Regolin & Vallortigara. Showed chicks different moving shapes. The chicks followed/attached to the first moving shape they saw. Increases the reliability of animal studies.
  • ethical issues: monkeys in H's research had long-term effects e.g., could not attach. D: although the animals had effects, Harlow's research has been very useful in developing attachments e.g., skin-to-skin contact. Research has been very beneficial in attachment.
  • mothers in H's research looked different. Monkeys might have attached to cloth mother as it looked real. Low validity.