Imprinting (psychology)

In psychology and ethology, imprinting is a relatively rapid learning process that occurs during a particular developmental phase or stage of life and leads to corresponding behavioural adaptations. Independent of a theory of psychological development occurring in phases (critical period), the term originally was used to describe situations in which an animal or human internalises (learns) the characteristics of a perceived object, for example of a person or an apple. Even in ancient times philosophers speculated about the material nature of memory what would be necessary for the learning process. Therefore they imagined a kind of writing tabula in the brain like consisting of soft clay and empty until an experience were mechanically "imprinted" on it. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, provided the first scientific explanation of how imprinting really work, developing the thesis that the brain can store experiences in its neural network through "a permanent change after an event" – one of the two main functions of the long-term memory (superego). Being imprinted by all social experiences of childhood, this psychic instance is related close to the human consciousness (ego) and also takes on the function of his conscience.