Compare and contrast the terms critical period and sensitive period, and discuss how observations of imprinting led to the development of these concepts
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: Watching diverse animal species in their natural habitats, European zoologists Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen observed behavior patterns that promote survival. The best known of these is imprinting, the early following behavior of certain baby birds, which ensures that the young will stay close to the mother and be fed and protected from danger. Imprinting takes place during an early, restricted period of development. If the mother is absent during this time but an object resembling her in important features is present, young birds may imprint on it instead.
Observations of imprinting led to a major concept in child development: the critical period. It is a limited time span during which the child is biologically prepared to acquire certain adaptive behaviors but needs the support of an appropriately stimulating environment. A sensitive period is a time that is biologically optimal for certain capacities to emerge because the individual is especially responsive to environmental influences. The idea of a sensitive period applies better to human development than the strict notion of a critical period. However, its boundaries are less well-defined than are those of a critical period. Development can occur later, but it is harder to induce.
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