Imprinting
Encyclopedia article; The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2009
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Religious Studies, Education, Psychology, History, Literature, Philosophy, Entire Library
IMPRINTING acquisition of behavior in many animal species, in which, at a critical period early in life, the animals form strong and lasting attachments. Imprinting is important for normal social development...reinforced by the imprinted object, and later social behaviors, such as the greeting ceremony and courtship, may be directed exclusively to the mother-substitute. In fowl, attachment increases with the amount of effort the offspring must...