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Following and visual imprinting in ducklings across a wide age range
Author(s) -
Brown Robert T.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420080104
Subject(s) - imprinting (psychology) , psychology , artifact (error) , biology , genomic imprinting , developmental psychology , audiology , neuroscience , genetics , medicine , gene , gene expression , dna methylation
Abstract Ducklings ranging in age from 20–125 hr were exposed to a moving silent object in an open circular apparatus until a criterion of 300 sec of following was met. All duckings met the criterion, and age did not correlate with the time required. In subsequent choice tests most ducklings approached the imprinting object over a novel object, and age did not correlate with choice behavior. Results indicate that imprinting can occur over a fairly wide age range, and that the traditional critical period for imprinting may, in part, be an artifact of laboratory methods.