Lorenz (1935) Imprinting

Question 1

Findings

Answer 1

• Found that geese automatically attach to the first moving thing they see after hatching, and follow it everywhere,
• Observed that the incubated goslings followed him around in the same way that the goslings from the other eggs would follow their mother,
• When he put the two groups together, they quickly reformed and went off in search of their respective mothers,
• After further experimentation, Lorenz determined that imprinting most likely happened 13-16 hours after hatching.

Question 2

Method

Answer 2

• randomly divide a clutch of geylag goose eggs into two groups,
• Left one group with the mother and incubated the other eggs,
• He observed the incubator group, and then put the two groups of Goslings together to observe.

Question 3

Evaluation

Answer 3

• Unlikely to occur in humans; our attachments take longer to develop and we don’t automatically attach to particular things; quality care seems more important in humans.