Animal studies of attachment

Question 1

Outline the procedure of Lorenz’s 1935 animal study of attachment

Answer 1

• Randomly allocated goose eggs to two groups
• One group was left to hatch with the mother in their natural environment, other half was left in incubator with Lorenz
• Behaviour of goslings recorded
• Varied time between gosling’s birth and seeing moving object to measure critical period for imprinting

Question 2

Outline the findings of Lorenz’s 1935 animal study of attachment

Answer 2

• Goslings from incubator followed Lorenz around same way they would follow their mother
• When two groups were put together, separated to find respective mothers
• this behaviour took place 13-16 hours after hatching
• Too late to imprint after 32 hours
• Conclusion was that new born mobile animals follow first moving object they see and attach during critical period

Question 3

Outline the procedure of Harlow’s 1959 animal study of attachment

Answer 3

• Baby monkeys raised in isolation
• Two substitute mothers were presented in controlled environment
• One made of wire and bottle, one made of cloth with no bottle
• Amount of time monkey spent with each mother and response to fearful stimuli was recorded
• Long term effects with substitute mothers was also recorded, in terms of its sociability and relationship with future offspring

Question 4

Outline the findings of Harlow’s 1959 animal study of attachment

Answer 4

• Monkeys spent most time clinging to cloth mother, only used wire mother for food
• Would run to cloth mother in distressed situations (needed comfort)
• Monkey grew up to have social and emotional disturbances
• When in presence of other monkeys they would be more aggressive, less sociable and bred less often
• If monkey became a mother, would neglect offspring, attack and sometimes kill them

Question 5

Outline the strength of Lorenz and Harlow’s animal studies of attachment

Answer 5

• Shed important light into numerous fields of attachment research
• Lorenz findings that infants imprint within the first few hours of their lives has been used to support Bowlby’s theory that attachment is an innate biological process
• Harlow’s study discredits learning theory of attachment that states infants attach to primary caregiver through food (Baby monkeys would’ve shown more attachment to wire mother)
• Harlow’s study also provided evidence that early attachments affect later social and emotional development and relationships
• Adds to credibility of animal research into attachment due to its applications being widespread

Question 6

Outline one limitation of Harlow’s animal studies of attachment

Answer 6

• Confounding variables
• Comfort mother’s head resembled more of a monkey than wire mother
• Limitation because could be reason as to why monkey spent more time with comfort mother than wire mother, not just for the comfort rather than food
• Another confounding variable would be how monkey’s social and emotional difficulties in future may not be due to isolation and not having an attachment, but due to regularly being scared with fearful stimuli (Aggressive behaviour and lack of sociability due to trauma at young age)
• Questions validity of conclusions drawn from Harlow’s study into attachment

Question 7

Outline final limitation of Lorenz and Harlow’s animal studies of attachment

Answer 7

• Big differences in the nature and complexity of attachments in animals and humans
• Humans require parents to survive from birth, Many animals do not
• Limitation as different type of bond is required
• Questions generalisability of findings from animal studies of attachment to human attachments