A rapid and irreversible form of learning occurring during a critical period in early life, in which a young animal forms a strong attachment to the first moving object it sees.
From 'imprint' meaning 'to press upon.' Ethological concept described by Konrad Lorenz in the 1930s with his famous goslings.
Imprinting is nature's speed-bonding — baby geese follow the first moving thing they see, even if it's a scientist named Konrad instead of their mother!
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