PSYC 2230 Lecture Notes - Baby Talk, Outlast, Operant Conditioning

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2230
• Professor: Frank Marchese

Document Summary

Imprinting as socialization process whereby the process of becoming attached to the object is both innate and learned. Characteristics of imprinting: occurs during a limited critical period in early development, imprinting is permanent and irreversible and influences species identification and sexual preferences in adulthood. Reversibility of imprinting in birds depends on whether the species is. Nidifugous leaves nest shortly after hatching or nidicolous remains longer in nest after hatching. Nidifugous show more reversibility in imprinting whereas nidicolous show more permanent attachment to imprinted object: imprinting is independent of reward. Imprinting occurs automatically rather than in a trial and error fashion that would suggest a learning process. However an imprinted stimulus may be used to reinforce other behaviours: not all objects are equally effective as imprinted objects (stimuli). For example, colour in chicks more dominant and shape less so. Further, maternal call is preferred over other potential imprinting stimuli.