Learning on a Deadline
Imprinting is rapid, unreinforced learning that occurs during a narrow developmental window. Unlike standard learning, it needs no rewards or practice.
Konrad Lorenz showed this with greylag geese: hatchlings follow the first large moving object they see. A gosling will imprint on a bouncing ball purely from exposure.
| Type | What it shapes | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Filial imprinting | Proximity to parents | Hours after birth |
| Sexual imprinting | Adult mate preference | Early life, expressed later |
Common pitfall: assuming imprinting requires food or reinforcement to stick. It requires only exposure during the window.
Two Types of Bonds
Filial imprinting ensures the young animal stays close to a parental figure for protection during its most vulnerable stage.
Sexual imprinting shapes later mate choices. If a zebra finch is raised by a foster species, it will often court that foster species as an adult instead of its own.
Critical vs. Sensitive Periods: A critical period has hard biological edges where imprinting cannot happen outside the window. A sensitive period is a softer window where learning is easiest, but not strictly impossible outside it.