Animal studies - AO1

Question 1

What is imprinting?

Answer 1

A form of learning in which a very young animal fixes its attention on the first moving object that it sees and thereafter follows that object

Question 2

What is a critical period?

Answer 2

A set period of time in which an attachment must form or it will not form at all. Lorenz and Harlow found critical periods in animals and Bowlby extended this to humans

Question 3

What are the aims of Lorenz (1935) study?

Answer 3

To investigate the effects of imprinting

Question 4

How many participants were part of Lorenz (1935) study?

Answer 4

Goose eggs randomly divided into two groups

Question 5

What is the procedure of Lorenz (1935) study?

Answer 5

One group raised naturally, one in incubator where Lorenz was the first moving thing they saw

Question 6

What are the findings of Lorenz (1935) study?

Answer 6

Incubator group followed Lorenz, even when mixed with control group, showing no recognition of biological mother. These geese also trried to mate with Lorenz when older - sexual imprinting. Determined a critical period of a few hours after death

Question 7

What are the conclusions of Lorenz (1935) study?

Answer 7

Imprinting is life-long and irreversible in geese

Question 8

What did Guiton (1966) find?

Answer 8

• Chicks exposed to yellow rubber gloves during feeding for their four weeks became imprinted
• Shows birds are not born with the predisposition to imprint a specific thing, rather any moving thing present during critical periods
• Male chickens later tried to mate with gloves, showing that early imprinting is linked to later reproductive behaviour

Question 9

What is the sensitive period of birds?

Answer 9

Few weeks

Question 10

What are the aims of Harlow’s (1958) study?

Answer 10

To investigate the importance of contact comfort vs food in attachment

Question 11

What are the participants of Harlow’s (1958) study?

Answer 11

Baby monkeys separated from their monkeys

Question 12

What is the procedure of Harlow’s (1958) study?

Answer 12

Two model monkeys, one plain wire and one covered with a soft cloth. Monkeys were observed to see how much time their spent with each mother

Question 13

What are the findings of Harlow’s (1958) study?

Answer 13

Both groups spent more time with the cloth mother, even when she had no milk. When frightened, all monkeys clung to the cloth mother. Monkeys also developed abnormally (socially and sexually) due to maternal deprivation. Also identified critical period of 90 days

Question 14

What are the conclusions of Harlow’s (1958) study?

Answer 14

Baby monkeys develop attachment to whoever is offering contact comfort rather than who feeds them

Question 15

What is the long lasting effect of Harlow (1958) study?

Answer 15

Motherless monkeys, even those who did have contact comfort, developed abnormally
* Socially - fled when approached by other monkeys
* Sexually - abnormal mating behaviour ; did not cuddle their babies

Question 16

What is the critical period of the monkeys?

Answer 16

• If the motherless monkeys spent time with their monkey peers they seemed to recover, but only if this happned before they were 3 months old
• Having more than six months with only a wire mother was something they were not able to recover from
• Critical period = 90 days
• Sensitive period = 6 months