Animal Studies

Question 1

What did Lorenz study

Answer 1

Imprinting of gosling

Question 2

What was Lorenz procedure

Answer 2

• divided a clutch of goslings eggs into 2 groups
• one group was left with their mother the other eggs were kept in an incubator and Lorenz made sure that he was the first large moving object that they saw when they hatched

Question 3

What were Lorenza findings and conclusions

Answer 3

• each group that hatched followed the first large moving object that they saw
• imprinting occurs directly after birth - suggesting its a innate biological behaviour rather than learnt
• imprinting must occur within a set time frame (critical period) - if it didn’t occur within the first 25hours its didn’t occur at all
• geeses who imprinted on humans tried to to my with human in the further- showing the importance of imprinting/attachment behaviour upon future relationships

Question 4

Criticisms of lorenz study

Answer 4

• cant generalise, mammalian attachment system is different and more complex than birds
  Eg in mammals its a 2 way process both mother and young show attachment
  There for its not appropriate to generalise Lorenzs idea to humans

Question 5

Supporting research of Lorenz study

Answer 5

Supports the concept of imprinting
- Lucia regolin and Giorgio support imprinting
Exposed hicks to different shapes and they where moved in front of them and they followed the original shape the closest
- support idea that young animals are born with an innate mechanism to imprint of moving object present in the critical period shown my Lorenz

Question 6

What did Harlow study

Answer 6

Monkeys

Question 7

What was Harlow investigating

Answer 7

Which was more important to an infant monkey contact comfort or food

Question 8

What types of surrogate mother did Harlows create

Answer 8

harsh wire mother and soft towelling mother

Question 9

What is Harlows procedure

Answer 9

Infants monkey where played in one of 4 cages
- wire mother with milk and cloth mother without milk
- wire mother without milk and lots mother with milk
- wire mother with milk
- cloth mother with milk

Question 10

What did Harlows measure

Answer 10

• The amount of time spent with each mother
• time spent feeding
• mother preference during stress (loud noises)
• degree of exploitation when in a large cage were all recorded

Question 11

What did Harlow find

Answer 11

• In condition 1 infant monkeys spent 17 hours with cloth mother and only 1 hour with wire mother, when in stressful situations monkey went to cloth mother
• when in a unfamiliar cage with wire mother - monkey ignored wire mother when
• when in a unfamiliar cage with cloth mother - money ran up to it and explored environment

Question 12

What did Harlow conclude

Answer 12

• contact comfort is associated with lower levels of stress and a willingness to explore - provides emotional security
• attachment concerns emotional security more than food

Question 13

Critism of Harlows study

Answer 13

• animal study cant generalise finding to humans , ignorance differences between in both biology and cultural/social enviroments
• ethical issues, Harlows experiments intentionally orphaned infants and subject them to high levels of stress

Question 14

Strengths of Harlows study

Answer 14

• knowledge gained has been applied to early childcare issues
  Eg contact between mother and babies in the first few hours of birth
  Influences later research such as Bowlbys
• argued unjustifiably unethical
• argued long term benefits to human infants resulting from Harlows research justifies the study from a cost befit analysis