Animal Studies In Attachment Flashcards
(11 cards)
What were the aims of Lorenz study on attachment in geese?
How different attachments form after birth.
What was Lorenz study on geese procedure?
Carried out his experiment with grey lag geese.
1. First condition, he was first thing the geese chicks saw when hatched.
2. Second condition, geese mother first thing geese saw when hatched.
What were the findings of Lorenz study on geese.
- Condition 1: Chicks who saw Lorenz first followed him as though he was their mother.
- Condition 2: Chicks who saw their mother first followed her.
What is Imprinting?
The tendency to form attachment to first large moving object seen after birth.
How does imprinting affect sexual relationships?
In investigation between imprinting and adult male preferences, found birds who imprinted onto humans displayed sexual attraction to humans.
Shows early relationships affect future sexual relationships.
What was Harlow’s Aims?
To find out whether baby monkeys prefer a source of food or a source of protection and comfort in attachment
What was Harlow’s method?
Harlow conducted a laboratory experiment with monkeys raised in isolation. Had 2 surrogate mothers, one made of metal mesh with a feeding bottle and one was made of soft cloths.
What were the results of Harlow’s experiment?
Monkeys spent most their time with the cloth mother and only went to the wire mother for food. Cloth mother gave them comfort in new situations.
When they grew up showed emotional disturbance and often violent towards offspring.
What was Harlow’s conclusion?
Monkeys formed more of an attachment to figure that provided comfort and affection.
Growing up in isolation affected development
What are the evaluations of just Harlow’s laboratory experiment.
Lacked ecological validity.
Highly controlled variables so replicable
What are the evaluations of animal studies.
Hard to generalise findings to humans and animals behaviour can often be very different.
However it can help influence policies and theories in different areas of research.
Often unethical as involved taking infants away from their mothers, causing developmental issues.
Can’t know animals thoughts/feelings
