Animal studies

• Lorenz imprinting


  Key study in animal attachment
• Lorenz imprinting procedure


  1. Randomly divided 12 goose eggs, half hatched with mother, half hatched with Lorenz as first moving object

  2. Mixed all goslings together to see who they followed

  3. Observed geese's later courtship behaviour
• Harlow's study on importance of contact comfort


  Key study in animal attachment
• Harlow's procedure


  1. Reared 16 monkeys with two wire 'mothers', one dispensed milk, one was cloth covered

  2. Measured monkey's preferences

  3. Observed monkey's reactions to frightening situations

  4. Observed deprived monkeys into adulthood
• Limitations of Lorenz's findings


  • Generalising findings and conclusions from birds to humans
  • Mammal attachment system is different from birds, e.g. mammals show more emotional attachment to their young
• Some of Lorenz's observations and conclusions have been questioned
• Guiton's findings


  • Chicks imprinted on a yellow washing up glove and tried to make with them as adults, but with experience they learnt to mate with their own kind
• Guiton's findings


  Effects of imprinting didn't last as long as Lorenz suggested
• Strength of Harlow's research

  • Important practical applications, e.g. helped social workers understand risk factors in child abuse and how to intervene and prevent it, understanding the importance of attachment figures for baby monkeys and breeding programs
• Limitations of generalising from monkeys to humans

  • Monkeys are similar to but not the same as humans, e.g. humans develop babbling-like communication which could influence attachment
  • Psychologists disagree on the extent to which studies of non-humans can be generalised