Which phenomenon, associated with Konrad Lorenz, involves a newborn following a moving object and is crucial during a critical period?

• A. Conditioning
• B. Habituation
• C. Imprinting
• D. Observational learning

Answer: (C)

Imprinting is an early-life, rapid, and largely irreversible form of attachment. Konrad Lorenz showed that newborn goslings will immediately follow the first moving object they encounter, treating it as a caregiver. This behavior occurs during a short, defined window after birth or hatching—the critical period—so the young animal bonds with a caregiver and learns essential social and survival cues. The emphasis here is on being time-sensitive and directing future social behavior, rather than requiring reinforcement or observation of others.

This fits the scenario because imprinting specifically involves following a moving object and a critical period, unlike conditioning (learning by forming associations through reinforcement), habituation (getting used to a repeated stimulus), or observational learning (learning by watching others).