Animal Studies of Attachment (Lorenz and Harlow)

This section explains Animal Studies of Attachment, focussing on the theories produced by Lorenz and Harlow. Animal studies have played a crucial role in understanding the nature of attachment. Researchers like Konrad Lorenz and Harry Harlow conducted influential experiments that offered insights into the mechanisms and importance of attachment behaviours. Although these studies were conducted on animals, their findings have been considered relevant for understanding human attachment.

Lorenz’s Study of Imprinting (1935)

Aim: To investigate the process of imprinting in geese and understand the nature of attachment formation.

Procedure:

Lorenz randomly divided a clutch of goose eggs into two groups.

One group hatched naturally with their mother (control group).

The other group hatched in an incubator, where Lorenz was the first moving object they saw (experimental group).

Lorenz observed the goslings’ behaviour after hatching and their subsequent attachment.

Findings:

The incubator group followed Lorenz as though he were their mother, while the naturally hatched goslings followed their biological mother.

When mixed, each group still followed their respective ‘mother’ figures.

Lorenz noted a critical period (within a few hours after birth) during which imprinting had to occur. If the attachment did not form within this critical period, it would not develop at all.

Conclusion:

Imprinting is an innate and rapid form of attachment that takes place during a critical period shortly after birth.

Imprinting has long-term consequences for the goslings, affecting their future mating behaviours (known as sexual imprinting).

Evaluation:

Strengths:

Lorenz’s work demonstrates that attachment can be an innate biological mechanism.

Influenced theories of attachment, such as Bowlby’s concept of a critical period in human infants.

Criticisms:

Generalisability: The findings may not be entirely applicable to humans. Human attachment is more complex and influenced by social and emotional factors.

Ethical Issues: The separation of goslings from their natural mother may raise ethical concerns regarding animal welfare.

Irreversible Effects: Some critics argue the permanence of imprinting might not be as rigid as Lorenz suggested.

Harlow’s Study on Rhesus Monkeys (1958)

Aim: To investigate the importance of comfort and food in the formation of attachment in infant rhesus monkeys.

Procedure:

Harlow reared 16 baby monkeys with two surrogate mothers:

One surrogate was made of wire and provided milk (wire mother).

The other was made of soft cloth but provided no food (cloth mother).

The infant monkeys’ preference for the surrogate mothers was observed, particularly under stress (e.g., in the presence of a frightening stimulus).

Findings:

The monkeys overwhelmingly preferred the cloth mother, seeking comfort from her regardless of whether she provided food.

When frightened, the monkeys clung to the cloth mother for security.

Monkeys that were reared with the wire mother only showed signs of stress, such as diarrhoea, and were less willing to explore their surroundings.

Conclusion:

The study demonstrated that attachment is not solely based on the satisfaction of biological needs (such as food) but also involves emotional comfort and security.

Contact comfort plays a crucial role in the development of attachment.

Long-Term Effects:

Monkeys raised without a real mother displayed long-term social and emotional deficits, such as increased aggression, difficulty mating, and neglectful behaviour towards their offspring.

Evaluation:

Strengths:

Highlighted the importance of emotional security and comfort in attachment, influencing later theories like Bowlby’s.

Demonstrated the severe effects of maternal deprivation, contributing to our understanding of neglect and its long-term impacts on development.

Criticisms:

Ethical Issues: Harlow’s study is widely criticised for its ethical implications. The monkeys experienced significant distress, both during the study and later in life.

Generalisability: While the study provides valuable insights, caution is needed when generalising findings from monkeys to humans. Human attachment involves more complex cognitive and social factors.

Artificial Setup: The use of surrogate mothers in a laboratory setting may not accurately reflect natural attachment processes in monkeys or humans.

Comparison and Contribution to Human Attachment Theories

Both Lorenz and Harlow’s studies emphasised the biological underpinnings of attachment.

Lorenz’s work highlighted the idea of a critical period, later adapted by Bowlby to explain the sensitive period in human attachment.

Harlow’s findings challenged earlier learning theories of attachment, which suggested that attachment was primarily about feeding (drive reduction theory). Instead, Harlow demonstrated the importance of comfort, which informed Bowlby’s theory of the internal working model and the role of emotional care.

General Evaluation of Animal Studies

Strengths:

Provided foundational knowledge about attachment and the importance of early experiences.

Allowed for controlled experiments that would be unethical with human participants.

Limitations:

Ethical Concerns: The studies often subjected animals to distress, raising questions about their ethical justification.

Generalisability: While insightful, findings from animal studies must be cautiously applied to human attachment, given the differences in complexity and social structure.

These animal studies, despite their limitations, have had a profound impact on the field of developmental psychology, shaping our understanding of attachment and its critical role in emotional and social development.