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Imprinting
The automatic attachment of geese to the first moving object they see after hatching, as studied by Konrad Lorenz.
Critical Period
The specific time frame, around 13 to 16 hours after hatching, during which imprinting is most likely to occur, as identified by Lorenz.
Contact Comfort
The need for comfort and protection as an attachment figure, as demonstrated by Harlow's study with baby monkeys.
Surrogate Mothers in Harlow's study
One made of wire mesh with a feeding bottle and the other made of cloth without a feeding bottle, used to investigate attachment preferences in monkeys.
Ecological Validity
The extent to which research findings can be applied to real-life situations, as highlighted by the lack of ecological validity in Harlow's study due to the monkeys being in an unnatural environment.
Attachment Figures
Individuals that provide comfort and protection, crucial for the development of strong attachments in infants, as emphasized in Harlow and Zimmerman's research.
Ethical Considerations
The ethical dilemmas surrounding the use of animals in psychological research, such as the debate over the treatment of animals and the necessity of informed consent.
What did Lorenz do to the unhatched clutch of geese?
He randomly divided a clutch of greylag goose eggs into two groups. He left one group with the mother and incubated the other eggs
What method did Lorenz use while researching the geese?
Lorenz observed that the goslings from the incubator eggs followed him around in exactly the same way that the goslings from the other eggs would follow their mother
He put both sets of goslings together and observed that when they were released, the two groups quickly re-informed as the goslings went off in search of their respective ‘mothers’. Both sets of goslings had imprinted on the first moving object that they had seen
What conclusions did Lorenz make for his study of imprinting in Geese?
After further experiments, Lorenz determined that imprinting was most likely between 13 and 16 hours after hatching
As such, he concluded that imprinting seems to occur during a ‘critical period’. It’s a fast, automatic process
He also noted that after this critical period, it was too late for the young birds ever to imprint
Why is imprinting 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 human attachment formation
What method did Harlow use when studying the need for ‘contact comfort’?
Harlow aimed to find out whether baby monkeys would prefer a source of food or a source of comfort and protection as an attachment figure. In laboratory experiments, rhesus monkeys were raised in isolation. They had two ‘surrogate’ mothers. One was made of wire mesh and contained a feeding bottle, the other was made of cloth but didn’t contain a feeding bottle
What were the results of Harlow’s study of the need for ‘contact comfort’?
The monkeys spent most of their time clinging to the cloth surrogate and only used the wire surrogate to feed. The cloth surrogate seemed to give them comfort in new situations. When the monkeys grew up they showed signs of social and emotional disturbance. The females were bad mothers who were often violent towards their offspring
What was the conclusion of Harlow’s study?
Infant monkeys formed more of an attachment with a figure that provided comfort and protection. Growing up in isolation affected their development
What was the evaluation of Harlow’s study?
This was a laboratory experiment, so there was strict control of the variables. This means that it’s unlikely the results were affected by an unknown variable. However, it can be argued that you can’t generalise the results of this study to human beings, because humans and monkeys are qualitatively different. There were also ethical problems with this study- the monkeys were put in a stressful situation, and later they showed signs of being psychologically damaged by the experiment. Monkeys are social animals, so it was unfair to keep them in isolation. The fact that they were in isolation also means that the study lacked ecological validity- the monkeys weren’t in their natural environment, so the results can’t be reliably applied to real life. Laboratory experiments can usually be replicated, but ethical guidelines now in place mean that you couldn’t repeat this study today to see whether you’d get the same results
What research did Harlow and Zimmerman do in 1959?
They added a fearful stimulus. When a fearful object (such as an oversized toy) was placed in the cage, the monkey would cling to the cloth surrogate first before exploring the object. Monkeys in cages with only a wire surrogate would remain frozen or run wildly around the cage. The researchers concluded that a strong attachment with a primary caregiver is therefore highly important in the development of an infant
What research did Harlow and Sumoi do in 1970?
They investigated other factors in generating a strong attachment. When they placed a cloth surrogate with food and a cloth surrogate without food in the cage, they found that the one with food was preferred. They concluded that food may still be a significant factor in developing attachments
Why do psychologists often use animals in research?
When animals are used in psychological research, the findings of the studies should be interpreted carefully. It is hard to generalise the findings from one species to another because the behaviour of an animal can often be very different to that of a human
Lorenz used precocial species- these are species that have their eyes open and can walk right from birth. So they are very different from birth. So they are very different from human infants, who cannot walk until a lot later
Although the results of animal studies might not always be generalisable to human populations, they can often influence policies and theories in different areas of research
What is the advantage of using animals in developmental research?
Some research designs couldn’t have been conducted on humans ethically- e.g. Harlow’s study of attachment, where young monkeys were separated from their mothers
What is the disadvantage of using animals in developmental research?
Some see it as unethical to inflict suffering on animals, especially when they can’t give consent
