Outline and evaluate animal
studies of attachment. (16 marks)
Lorenz performed an experiment in which he separated geese eggs into two batches.
The mother hatched one batch naturally, while the second group was placed in an
incubator, with Lorenz making sure he was the first major moving object the goslings
observed after hatching. Lorenz discovered that normally hatched goslings followed the
mother goose immediately after birth, whereas incubatorhatched goslings followed
Lorenz. Lorenz observed that this imprinting happened just within a key period of 4-25
hours after hatching, and that the association remained over time and proved
permanent. Because Lorenz only researched animals, we cannot extrapolate the
findings to humans and say that they will behave similarly. Mammalian attachment
development appears to be substantially different from that of avian species. Human
parents, particularly mothers, have stronger emotional reactions to their children and
can build relationships that last beyond the initial few hours after birth. So, while some
of Lorenz's findings have altered our knowledge of development and attachment
formation, we must exercise caution when taking broad inferences from the findings.
Later research has called into question some of Lorenz's results.
Guiton et al. (1966), for example, discovered that hens would imprint on yellow washing
up gloves if that was the first large moving object they saw after birth. They would then
try to mate with that thing as adults. They disagreed with Lorenz's assumption that this
association would last and be irreversible. This is because, with time, the chickens may
learn to prefer mating with different birds, implying that the effects of imprinting may not
be as lasting as previously thought.
Harlow studied rhesus monkey attachment behaviour. He created two surrogate
mothers, one severe 'wire mother' and one tender 'towelling mother.' The time spent by
the infant monkey with each mother was recorded. The infant monkeys preferred to
establish contact with the soft 'towelling mother,' and the monkeys would even extend
across to the 'wire mother' for food while still clinging to the 'towelling mother,' according
to the findings. Harlow came to the conclusion that infant rhesus monkeys have an
inbuilt desire to seek touch comfort, implying that connection with parents is created due
to an emotional need for security. The findings of Harlow's study are highly practical
Outline and evaluate animal studies of attachment. (16 marks) 1
studies of attachment. (16 marks)
Lorenz performed an experiment in which he separated geese eggs into two batches.
The mother hatched one batch naturally, while the second group was placed in an
incubator, with Lorenz making sure he was the first major moving object the goslings
observed after hatching. Lorenz discovered that normally hatched goslings followed the
mother goose immediately after birth, whereas incubatorhatched goslings followed
Lorenz. Lorenz observed that this imprinting happened just within a key period of 4-25
hours after hatching, and that the association remained over time and proved
permanent. Because Lorenz only researched animals, we cannot extrapolate the
findings to humans and say that they will behave similarly. Mammalian attachment
development appears to be substantially different from that of avian species. Human
parents, particularly mothers, have stronger emotional reactions to their children and
can build relationships that last beyond the initial few hours after birth. So, while some
of Lorenz's findings have altered our knowledge of development and attachment
formation, we must exercise caution when taking broad inferences from the findings.
Later research has called into question some of Lorenz's results.
Guiton et al. (1966), for example, discovered that hens would imprint on yellow washing
up gloves if that was the first large moving object they saw after birth. They would then
try to mate with that thing as adults. They disagreed with Lorenz's assumption that this
association would last and be irreversible. This is because, with time, the chickens may
learn to prefer mating with different birds, implying that the effects of imprinting may not
be as lasting as previously thought.
Harlow studied rhesus monkey attachment behaviour. He created two surrogate
mothers, one severe 'wire mother' and one tender 'towelling mother.' The time spent by
the infant monkey with each mother was recorded. The infant monkeys preferred to
establish contact with the soft 'towelling mother,' and the monkeys would even extend
across to the 'wire mother' for food while still clinging to the 'towelling mother,' according
to the findings. Harlow came to the conclusion that infant rhesus monkeys have an
inbuilt desire to seek touch comfort, implying that connection with parents is created due
to an emotional need for security. The findings of Harlow's study are highly practical
Outline and evaluate animal studies of attachment. (16 marks) 1
