Developmental age as a baseline for determination of the critical period in imprinting.

Abstract

Peking ducklings were given an imprinting training trial at one of several ages, and then tested for imprinting at 27-30 hr. Behavior on the test gave no evidence that there is a critical period for imprinting when age was measured from time of hatching, but a critical period was evident when age was measured from the onset of incubation (developmental age). Readiness for imprinting is considered more dependent upon metabolic factors related to developmental age than hatching. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4EC22G. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)