Described first by Douglas Spalding as “stamping in”, the process of imprinting has been deeply studied in both ethology and psychology. The concept was popularized by the extensive and varied studies by Eckhard Hess, and then by Konrad Lorenz.
Around the time when behaviourism was the primary school of thought, Hess propounded the ethological perspective.
The following footage depicts how a duckling started following a wooden model (mallard) in laboratory and outdoor conditions:
Konrad Lorenz conducted extended studies in animal behaviour, most of which are well documented.
The following clip of a documentary depicts his work and studies, explaining the concept he put forward:
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The following documentary, titled of Geese and Men, from 1978, features Lorenz explaining his research and studies.
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