Animal studies

Lorenz method AO1

• Conducted an experiment where he randomly divided a clutch of goose eggs

• Half of the eggs were hatched with their mother & other half were in incubator where Lorenz was the first moving thing they seen

Lorenz findings AO1

• The experimental group (incubator) followed Lorenz everywhere where as the control group followed their mother & this continued when the 2 groups were mixed

• Lorenz called this imprinting which is when mobile bird species attach & follow the first moving object they see

• Identified a critical period where this must take place (for some species a few hours after hatching). If doesn’t occur then birds didn’t attach to a mother figure

Lorenz conclusion AO1

• Animals are born with an innate need to attach to a figure to aid survival & safety, which supports the biological argument

Lorenz strengths AO3

• P - research that supports Lorenz’s theory

• E - Lorenz identified the critical period where imprinting must take place (the first few days or hours after hatching) which Bowlby also identified (3-6 months). Furthermore, Lorenz identified that imprinting affects later mate choice (sexual imprinting), paralleling Bowlby’s theory of the internal working model as well as the findings of Hazan & Shaver’s “love quiz”

• T - although there are differences between animals & humans, there is research into human attachment that supports Lorenz’s theory, therefore suggesting his work is actually generalisable to humans.

Lorenz limitations AO3

• P - tested his theories on geese

• E - Lorenz studied precocial birds which are mobile from birth & imprint on the first moving object they see whilst human infants are altricial (more helpless & dependent). Imprinting in animals is often innate & mechanical where as human attachments are formed gradually on comfort & interaction & multiple can be formed (unlike Loren’s goslings that showed attachment to one figure)

• T - generalisability to humans is questionable as human attachment systems are more complex as involve cognitive, social & emotional processes which Lorenz doesn’t take into consideration

• P - conflicting research that challenges the rigidity of imprinting

• E - Bateson argued that imprinting isn’t an instant, irreversible process but a gradual one that can be influenced by later experiences. Guiton also found in his study that chicks who imprinted on yellow rubber gloves later preferred other chicks.

• T - suggests that imprinting is flexible & can be modified over time, conflicting Lorenz’s view that it’s permanent.

Harlow method AO1

• Reared 16 baby monkeys with 2 wire model ‘mothers’ - one being a plain wire model & the other a cloth-covered wire model

• In one condition milk was dispensed by the plain model whereas in the 2nd condition milk was dispensed by cloth-covered model

Harlow findings AO1

• The baby monkeys cuddled & sought comfort from the cloth-covered model when scared in preference to the wire model

• This shows that contact comfort & security is more important than food when it comes to attachment behaviour

• Also followed the long term effects of maternal deprivation & found that monkeys raised without a real mother developed anti-social behaviour & struggled forming attachments with their own offspring. This suggests that early attachment & comfort is crucial for social & emotional development

• Also identified a critical period (90 days after being born) where attachments must be formed

Harlow strengths AO3

• P - real world applications

• E - his work has helped social workers understand risk factors in child neglect & abuse & these warning signs have allowed early intervention

• T - intervention has allowed children to be removed from dangerous situations & be placed in foster care etc where they can form secure attachments, preventing the effects of maternal deprivation later in life.

• ALSO he has helped shift attitudes towards importance of comfort & bonding in hospitals as hospitals used to discourage physical contact between infant & mother to avoid ‘spoiling’ them

Harlow limitations AO3

• P - ethical issues

• E - monkeys were subjected to extreme distress & emotional harm due to prolonged separation from their real mother. Many suffered severe social dysfunction as a result & were unable to form relationships later in life, including with their own offspring

• T - the effects of maternal deprivation were long term & irreversible. Also the fact that monkeys & humans are considered similar & generalisable means the suffering was ‘human-like’, making the study extremely unethical.

• HOWEVER the study led to stricter ethical regulations animal research & improved animal welfare as well childcare & institutional care policies so it could be argued that the benefits outweigh ethical costs

• P - he used monkeys which are lot different to humans

• E - humans have different attachment systems based on social & cultural influences as well as a more complex cognitive capacity. Humans are raised in social environments where multiple caregivers may contribute to attachment where as monkeys rely more on instinctual bonding

• T - external validity & generalisability is questionable as findings may not fully generalise to humans

  HOWEVER monkeys do share approx 94% of DNA with humans & show similar social/emotional behaviours so allow caution is necessary, they still offer helpful insight into attachment