Animal attachment

Animal attachment

1. Lorenz 1935

   • experiment..
     • control group assigned to hatch with mother, experimental group followed Lorenz
       • experimental group didn't recognise real mother.
         • this is imprinting= born with a drive of attachment to the first moving object
         • critical period=12-17 hours(depending on species, if not no imprinting.
         • imprintability is generally switched on and off
   • Stephen Lea 1984
     • found that instict proposes a template of the mother but environment must supply the details
   • sexual impriting
     • Lorenz showed that the goslings had desire for humans
       • Guiton 1966
         • found that chickens that were imprinted to gloves, learnt to mate with their own species

2. Harlow 1958

   • 2 groups of monkeys with a wire mother and cloth mother, one group the cloth mother provided milk
     • both spent more time with cloth mother and seek refuge with her in times they are frightened
   • found that monkeys who had surrogate mothers (over 90 days)
     • more timid/could not socialise/aggressive/ difficulty mating/females were inadquate mothers
   • evaluation..
     • both different c&p's but similar on evolutionary aspect
     • used to provide care with children and zoos.
     • monkeys were harmfuly treated- ethical guidelines written after

3. why do we study animals?

   • unethical on humans
     • but ethical guidelines are followed
   • animals mature quickly
     • humans take years

4. Disadvantages of studying animals

   • we cannot generalise animals and humans
     • due to psychological and cognitive differences
   • But animals show attachment behaviour so may help us understand human behaviour.