Imprinting is ... Imprinting - capturing, fixing an image in memory

Imprinting in psychology is one of the most interesting concepts. This term is translated as "leave a mark", "mark". This phenomenon is encountered not only in the environment of animals, but also in the human environment. However, if imprinting of our younger brothers is conditioned by instinct and serves the purposes of adaptation and survival, then in society it turned into a more complex phenomenon, and it even found application for commercial purposes.

Imprinting is ...

Imprinting (imprinting) is a selective fixation of important information in memory. Imprinting is a holistic psycho-physiological mechanism in which the visual, auditory or other image is firmly preserved in the brain centers. The features of this process are similar in animals and humans. First, it occurs at a clearly defined time - critical periods of life, when the body is the most sensitive and receptive to the new. Secondly, only one meeting with the object of imprinting is sufficient for its formation. Thirdly, for the appearance of the phenomenon of imprinting, no reinforcement (food, emotional or otherwise) is necessary. And fourthly, the results of imprinting are extremely stable and the result of imprinting can remain throughout life.

The mechanism of imprinting can be clearly demonstrated in the so-called follow-up reaction in most birds and mammals. It develops already in the first hours of the cub's life, which the mother sees, hears her call and reacts by coming to her and begins to repeat her movements. In the course of this interaction, parents introduce the newborns to their place of living and the models of behavior necessary for life.

Imprinting in animals

In zoopsychology this term is well known. It was invented by one of the leading scientists of Austria, K. Lorenz, who at that time studied the way of life of gray geese. Imprinting in the animal world is one of the types of learning, that is, individual acquisition of new forms of behavior and actions that will be necessary in specific conditions. At the heart of any training lies the process of formation of neural connections by the type of reflex. Those animals that are capable of this, are more likely to survive.

The objects of imprinting can be parents, other cubs from the same litter, males or females, enemies, as well as food objects. In this regard, we can talk about the following important functions of imprinting for the representatives of the animal world:

1. Definition of close relatives by characteristic appearance, smell, etc.
2. Choosing a sexual partner.
3. The location of the territory for living by its features.

Recognition of poisonous and deadly creatures.

A little bit about genetics

The American geneticist H. Crowz proposed such a concept as genomic imprinting. It can be detected in some plants, insects, mammals and in some cases in humans. Genomic imprinting is a variant of inheritance of genes, in which the basic structure of genes - DNA - does not undergo any changes. The peculiarity is that certain genes in the egg or spermatozoon of the parents simply turn off and do not participate in the transfer to their offspring, therefore one part of the characteristic signs of the baby gets from the mother and the other from the father. The offspring have other "tags" of genes. For example, due to unusual combinations of genes, the child can clearly manifest something from grandparents, which was not noted in the parents. This type of inheritance has a high risk of different mutations and pathologies due to a specific set of chromosomes.

Features of the psychology of a young child

Child psychology in its original mechanisms is very close to the psyche of animals. For example, this concerns the presence of pronounced imprinting. Very important for the child and parents the first days and months after childbirth. During this period, unusually strong psychological ties are formed: the relationship of the mother and the father, and all events occurring around the newborn are perceived as a pattern. The kid captures the demonstrated patterns of behavior, interactions with people, animals, surrounding objects. Later, he will begin to realize them in his future. In this regard, it is important that the child sees, hears and feels from the very beginning. If they love him, take care of him, he will absorb this love, learn to exercise it, take care of others. That is why child psychology requires special attention - children form the society of the future.

Theory of Timothy Leary

Timothy Leary, a neurologist and psychologist, identified several types of imprinting, peculiar to the person.

• Oral - the earliest. Mother's milk is the first and the main source of nutrition for the child only, and the mother's embrace is a security zone. The mother gives the necessary warmth and a sense of security, the need for which is inherent in man.
• Territorial-emotional or imprinting, associated with the development of the environment and the imprint of its properties. Adults and children mark their space in a certain way, beginning with choosing a favorite room in the house, storing their toys or things there, and ending with the rights to private property, registered in legal documents.
• Verbal. Thanks to this bioprogram it is possible to memorize the sounds and symbols composing words. This, in turn, stimulates the development of speech and the necessary communication between people.
• Social (socio-sexual) imprinting in humans.

More about social imprinting

In certain situations, people are characterized by sensitivity, that is, selective openness, strong receptivity. Social imprinting is a form of imprinting, in which fixation occurs on basic values, inter-gender, ethnic and other stereotypes. A presentation learned in the course of communicating with others or in the process of imitating it can be positive or negative, but in any case a person so absorbed information about him that he freely or involuntarily follows his behavior or activities. Such imprints are of global significance in terms of what determines the relationship to the family, and to religion, and the choice of a partner in life, etc. They also affect the general attitudes, abilities, and interests of the person.

Consumer Psychology

A special sensitivity to outside influence is inherent not only to children, but also to adults during certain periods of life. Any person can be trapped because of his own obsession with any image, whether it is a style of clothing, adherence to special food or religious beliefs, and so on.

Careful is to perceive new information especially impressionable people. In itself it is necessary to develop some criticality, not trusting all indiscriminately, because many advertising companies are oriented towards such people. They use those beliefs, attitudes, expectations that we attach great importance to, for mercenary purposes. By inducing an idea or forming a need, they stimulate, at times, unnecessary purchases, unnecessary expenditure. All shopping centers, television, and the media have a single goal - to promote the product to the masses. And imprinting here plays its own, already negative for a particular person, role.