Doucet Et Al Study - HL (bio) Flashcards
1
Q
Doucet Et Al Study - HL (bio)
Aim
A
To examine the role of the secretion of the areolar gland in suckling behavior in 3-day old infants.
2
Q
Doucet Et Al Study - HL (bio)
Procedure
A
- Researchers administered the different secretions to 19 three-day-old infants nasally and then monitored their breathing rate and behavior
- They compared the infants’ reactions to seven different secretions: AG, sebum, human milk, cow milk, formula milk, vanillin, and familiar milk.
3
Q
Doucet Et Al Study - HL (bio)
Findings
A
- Researchers found that infants only began suckling when exposed to areola gland secretions. tHe infants showed and increase in their breathing rate as well (secretion may cause a chain reaction of behavioral and physiological events)
- Areolar secretions from lactating women are especially salient to human newborns
- The stimulus of the areolar odor may initiate a chain of behavioral and physiological events that lead to the progressive establishment of attachment between the mother and infant
- There may be a pheromone in human milk
4
Q
Doucet Et Al Study - HL (bio)
Strengths
A
- Repeated measure controls for variability and lab experiment helps establish a cause-and-effect relationship; however these confounding variables would not matter under these circumstances as the subjects are all newborn babies
- High ecological validity since its a biological process (mother and baby/infant)
- The testing was done by 3 experimenters who were blind to the nature of the odors
5
Q
Doucet Et Al Study - HL (bio)
Limitations
A
- More research is necessary to draw conclusions
- The olfactory system is very complex (400 odor receptors) hard to see how pheromones work
- Many body odors are actually not caused by secretions, but by bacteria that mix with our secretions
- For example, in the armpits.
6
Q
Doucet Et Al Study - HL (bio)
Ethical Considerations
A
- Informed consent from the parents
7
Q
Doucet Et Al Study - HL (bio)
Research Method
A
Experiment
