Imprinting and konrad lorenz

Konrad Lorenz is responsible for an experiment that discovered the theory of imprinting. The experiment is detailed as this:. Hypothesis: Goslings will follow the first large moving object that they see after hatching. Null Hypothesis: The goslings will reject the first thing they see in favour of their biological mother. Sample: Lorenz took a batch of fertilised eggs and separated them into the experimental group and the control group.

Issues with the Sample: No noticeable problems have been reported with the sample.

Konrad lorenz attachment theory

The only thing that may be questioned is the generalisability because of the fact that they were not human. Procedure: Lorenz took the batch of fertilised eggs and split them into a control group and an experiment group. This is called independent subjects design. He made sure that the experimental group saw him first after they hatched and that the control group went through the usual experience of seeing the mother goose as soon as they hatched.

He then observed the results. Observations: Lorenz observed that the goslings would follow him if he was the first thing they saw. The control group acted as he predicted and followed the mother goose. Lorenz followed this up by placing them all together and releasing them. He concluded this was due to the fact that they needed food and protection.

He related this to natural selection by stating that if they did not learn this behaviour through evolution that they would die out leaving only the few that did.