Psychiatry and Psychology

Psychological Imprinting

A particular kind of learning characterized by occurrence in very early life, rapidity of acquisition, and relative insusceptibility to forgetting or extinction. Imprinted behavior includes most (or all) behavior commonly called instinctive, but imprinting is used purely descriptively.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

A particular kind of learning characterized by occurrence in very early life, rapidity of acquisition, and relative insusceptibility to forgetting or extinction. Imprinted behavior includes most (or all) behavior commonly called instinctive, but imprinting is used purely descriptively.

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Related Concepts

Knowledge Graph

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

9 entry terms
  • Imprinting (Psychology)
  • Imprinting, Psychological
  • Imprinting, Psychology
  • Imprintings (Psychology)
  • Imprintings, Psychological
  • Imprintings, Psychology
  • Psychological Imprintings
  • Psychology Imprinting
  • Psychology Imprintings

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

5 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings classification, drug effects, ethics, physiology, radiation effects.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

human & animal

MeSH Record

History Note

2020 (1965); was IMPRINTING (PSYCHOLOGY) 1964-2019

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

  1. F02w.463w.425w.448w

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Psychological Imprinting. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D007173. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D007173
  2. Psychological Imprinting. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imprinting_(psychology)
  3. Psychological Imprinting. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q624349