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Definition of Psychological imprinting
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
Psychological imprinting: A remarkable phenomenon that occurs in animals, and theoretically in humans, in the first hours of life. The newborn creature bonds to the type of animals it meets at birth and begins to pattern its behavior after them. In humans, this is often called bonding, and it usually refers to the relationship between the newborn and its parents.