imprinting

imprinting A general descriptive term applied to a form of learning that only occurs early in a young animal's life. In it, the young animal learns to direct some of its social responses to a particular object, usually a parent. The phenomenon was first described in detail by Konrad Lorenz in 1937 in respect of precocial birds, which learn to follow a moving object and in which it is most strongly developed. Young mammals are often imprinted to the scent or vocalizations of the adult and some birds are imprinted to the vocalizations of their parents (e.g. wood ducks (Aix sponsa) nest in restricted spaces in tree hollows; prior to hatching the mother makes a characteristic call; later, when the call is repeated, the chicks respond by leaving the nest and when they are all assembled the mother moves away with the chicks following). In this case imprinting occurs only during a brief critical period, possibly of only a few hours, very early in the life cycle. Such imprinting is irreversible and influences subsequent behaviour patterns, most importantly sexual behaviour.