SECTION: Animal Studies
TOPIC: Attachment
SIX SENTENCE SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS (K/U) KEY WORD GLOSSARY
1. Studies carried out on non – human parents and offspring for
ethical or practical reasons. Imprinting
Critical Period
Lorenz
RELEVENT EVIDENCE: Harlow
Lorenz 1952 – set up a classical experiment to observe Contact comfort
the event of imprinting. He divided a group of goose Wire vs Cloth model
eggs in half, half were hatched with the mother goose
and the other group were hatched in an incubator with RELEVENT EVIDENCE:
Lorenz.
He found that the ducklings followed whoever they saw Harlow 1958 – worked with monkeys, as they are more
first, even when they were mixed all together, they similar to humans, observing the importance of contact
continued to follow Lorenz/mother goose. This is called comfort to new-borns. He placed monkeys with wired
imprinting. mothers, the different conditions varied with one that
He also identified a critical period in which this needs t dispensed milk or one that was covered in cloth.
take place, (depend on species) they have a few hours to He found the monkeys sought comfort with the cloth model
attach otherwise there is no attachment made at all. rather than the wired ones when frightened. This showed
the importance of contact comfort when it came to
attachment behaviour.
PEEL STRENGTH In a longer study, they observed monkey’s adult behaviour
who had been without a real mother, with the wired models
Lorenz’s research has support from other studies on they showed severe aggression and less sociable qualities –
birds, supporting the view that young animals have when they became mother’s they often neglected their own
innate mechanisms to imprint. Chicks were shown a babies.
shape when born, the range of shapes were then moved
and they followed the original shape. This can be used to Harlow also found a critical period of 90 days , after this
support Bowlby’s evolutionary theory – although he attachment became impossible.
refers to humans not animals.
PEEL STRENGTH
PEEL WEAKNESS
Harlow’s study has real world value as it has helped social
Lorenz’s study is difficult to be generalised over humans workers understand how a lack of bonding may be a risk
as birds the attachment system are different and less factor to future development/adulthood. They are able
complex in birds. In mammals, attachment is a two – way to intervene and improve outcomes. Monkey’s and
process meaning the study isn’t appropriate for the breeding zoo’s also understand the importance of
attachment research in humans. imprnitng and the critical period.
PEEL WEAKNESS
Like Lorenz’s study it is difficult to generalise monkey’s to
humans, despite they hold more similarities than birds
do. The human brain and behaviours are still more
ETHICAL ISSUES:
complex than monkeys – not reliable to prove effect of
Animal studies cause long term distress, monkeys were attachments. Inappropriate to generalise.
deprived of mothers and never developed fully, they also
were kept in small cages being frightened for research.
TOPIC: Attachment
SIX SENTENCE SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS (K/U) KEY WORD GLOSSARY
1. Studies carried out on non – human parents and offspring for
ethical or practical reasons. Imprinting
Critical Period
Lorenz
RELEVENT EVIDENCE: Harlow
Lorenz 1952 – set up a classical experiment to observe Contact comfort
the event of imprinting. He divided a group of goose Wire vs Cloth model
eggs in half, half were hatched with the mother goose
and the other group were hatched in an incubator with RELEVENT EVIDENCE:
Lorenz.
He found that the ducklings followed whoever they saw Harlow 1958 – worked with monkeys, as they are more
first, even when they were mixed all together, they similar to humans, observing the importance of contact
continued to follow Lorenz/mother goose. This is called comfort to new-borns. He placed monkeys with wired
imprinting. mothers, the different conditions varied with one that
He also identified a critical period in which this needs t dispensed milk or one that was covered in cloth.
take place, (depend on species) they have a few hours to He found the monkeys sought comfort with the cloth model
attach otherwise there is no attachment made at all. rather than the wired ones when frightened. This showed
the importance of contact comfort when it came to
attachment behaviour.
PEEL STRENGTH In a longer study, they observed monkey’s adult behaviour
who had been without a real mother, with the wired models
Lorenz’s research has support from other studies on they showed severe aggression and less sociable qualities –
birds, supporting the view that young animals have when they became mother’s they often neglected their own
innate mechanisms to imprint. Chicks were shown a babies.
shape when born, the range of shapes were then moved
and they followed the original shape. This can be used to Harlow also found a critical period of 90 days , after this
support Bowlby’s evolutionary theory – although he attachment became impossible.
refers to humans not animals.
PEEL STRENGTH
PEEL WEAKNESS
Harlow’s study has real world value as it has helped social
Lorenz’s study is difficult to be generalised over humans workers understand how a lack of bonding may be a risk
as birds the attachment system are different and less factor to future development/adulthood. They are able
complex in birds. In mammals, attachment is a two – way to intervene and improve outcomes. Monkey’s and
process meaning the study isn’t appropriate for the breeding zoo’s also understand the importance of
attachment research in humans. imprnitng and the critical period.
PEEL WEAKNESS
Like Lorenz’s study it is difficult to generalise monkey’s to
humans, despite they hold more similarities than birds
do. The human brain and behaviours are still more
ETHICAL ISSUES:
complex than monkeys – not reliable to prove effect of
Animal studies cause long term distress, monkeys were attachments. Inappropriate to generalise.
deprived of mothers and never developed fully, they also
were kept in small cages being frightened for research.
