Why does the little duck mistake her mother?
Soon after birth, individuals exhibit some fixed patterns of behavior due to the stimulus or object they initially encounter, which is known as the "imprint effect."
The first to propose the imprint effect was the Austrian psychologist Condra Lorenz, who once did a classic engraving experiment.
Lorenz hatched a group of ducklings with an incubator, and the first thing lorenz saw after the little ducks were born, they regarded Lorenz as their mother, and they would follow him wherever Lorenz went. When he sees his real mother, he ignores it. When frightened, the ducklings run to Lorenz.
The duckling's "attachment" to Lorenz is known as the "mother's imprint", which refers to the fact that the animal regards the first object it encounters after birth as a mother, and will have a preference and follower reaction to it.
Engraving is an animal instinct. Lorenz also used other animals to do this experiment, he found that the "mother imprint" of birds is very obvious, such as chicks, birds in 10 to 16 hours after hatching, this phenomenon occurs, while mammalian "mother imprint" appears relatively late, like puppies will have such imprinting behavior 3 to 7 weeks after birth.
Lorenz refers to the period when "engraving" is most likely to occur as a critical period. During critical periods, both humans and animals produce a "mother imprint" on the first object they come into contact with in their environment. However, if the critical period is passed, it is difficult for the "imprint" to work. Lorenz once let the newly hatched duckling stay alone, and after 1 to 2 days, let it touch the object, at this time the duckling will not appear to be engraved, neither the mother duck nor Lorenz can let it automatically follow.
If you want to take advantage of the imprint effect, you must seize the critical period to help form the initial attachment relationship. After the birth of the child, parents must pay attention to creating a warm environment for him, often touch and hug him, and speak to him gently, so as to leave a deep perception on the child, let the imprint effect play a full role, and the parent-child relationship will be closer.