Which statement about imprinting is FALSE?

Which statement about imprinting is FALSE?

• A. It occurs during a critical period
• B. It influences later social attachments
• C. It is a rapid form of learning
• D. It can be reversed by late-life experiences

Answer: (D)

Imprinting is a rapid, early learning process that happens during a brief developmental window when the organism is especially receptive to certain stimuli, like a caregiver or parent-like figure. This exposure leads to lasting social attachments and recognition patterns that heavily influence later behavior, such as who the animal bonds with or follows. Because the learning is tied to those early neural and perceptual systems, the resulting attachment is effectively permanent once established. The statement about reversal by late-life experiences is not correct. Late experiences typically don’t erase the imprinting bond; while behavior can be modified in various ways, the initial imprinting attachment remains a lasting influence.

Imprinting is a rapid, early learning process that happens during a brief developmental window when the organism is especially receptive to certain stimuli, like a caregiver or parent-like figure. This exposure leads to lasting social attachments and recognition patterns that heavily influence later behavior, such as who the animal bonds with or follows. Because the learning is tied to those early neural and perceptual systems, the resulting attachment is effectively permanent once established.

The statement about reversal by late-life experiences is not correct. Late experiences typically don’t erase the imprinting bond; while behavior can be modified in various ways, the initial imprinting attachment remains a lasting influence.