<p>The answer is no. Definition of imprinting is:</p>

<p>A rapid learning process by which a newborn or very young animal establishes a behavior pattern of recognition and attraction towards other animals of its own kind, as well as to specific individuals of its species, such as its parents, or to a substitute for these. Ducklings, for example, will imprint upon and follow the first large moving object they observe. In nature, this is usually their mother, but they can be made to imprint upon other moving objects, such as a soccer ball.</p>

<p>Imprinting is not connected to learning social skills but attachment. Also the problem of learning of computing is matter of fluid, crystalized inteligence and anxiety are better predictors:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1524856/" rel="nofollow">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1524856/</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-27T16:32:15.380Z
2013-07-27T16:32:15.380Z
ICanFeelIt
<p>I've recently became aware of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imprinting_%28psychology%29" rel="nofollow">phenomenon of imprinting,</a> in which baby animals start to associate with the first moving object with eyes that they see during a <strong>critical period</strong> of their infancy. </p>

<p>What interested me is that at the end of the imprinting article there is a snippet on the "baby duck syndrome" for humans:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In human–computer interaction, baby duck syndrome denotes <strong>the tendency
  for computer users to "imprint" on the first system they learn</strong>, then
  judge other systems by their similarity to that first system.[9] The
  result is that "users generally prefer systems similar to those they
  learned on and dislike unfamiliar systems."[10] The issue may present
  itself relatively early in a computer user's experience, and has been
  observed to impede education of students in new software systems.[11]</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>I'm interested if imprinting affects our ability to interact with computers, and if there is a "critical period" for learning computers.</strong></p>

<p>For example, I repeatedly observed people in their 50s and above, who have not had any exposure to computers until their late 40s, fail to figure out how to operate a computer. A typical example is a bewildered user who has 2 monitors connected and is unable to comprehend or recall that a file can open on a monitor that is turned off, but is connected by cable. A "digital native" would be able to identify such issue in seconds. <strong>Is imprinting causing the difference between the experience of these two groups?</strong></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-29T10:44:27.740Z
Still, users in their fifties who was exposed to technology in their 20s appear to perform much better with modern computers than a people who started in their 40s
Alex Stone
<learning><developmental-psychology><human-factors>
Are imprinting and computer literacy connected?
Alex Stone
# Are imprinting and computer literacy connected?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-27)

I've recently became aware of the [phenomenon of imprinting,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imprinting_%28psychology%29) in which baby animals start to associate with the first moving object with eyes that they see during a **critical period** of their infancy.

What interested me is that at the end of the imprinting article there is a snippet on the "baby duck syndrome" for humans:

> In human–computer interaction, baby duck syndrome denotes **the tendency
> for computer users to "imprint" on the first system they learn**, then
> judge other systems by their similarity to that first system.[9] The
> result is that "users generally prefer systems similar to those they
> learned on and dislike unfamiliar systems."[10] The issue may present
> itself relatively early in a computer user's experience, and has been
> observed to impede education of students in new software systems.[11]

**I'm interested if imprinting affects our ability to interact with computers, and if there is a "critical period" for learning computers.**

For example, I repeatedly observed people in their 50s and above, who have not had any exposure to computers until their late 40s, fail to figure out how to operate a computer. A typical example is a bewildered user who has 2 monitors connected and is unable to comprehend or recall that a file can open on a monitor that is turned off, but is connected by cable. A "digital native" would be able to identify such issue in seconds. **Is imprinting causing the difference between the experience of these two groups?**

**Tags:** learning, developmental-psychology, human-factors

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Still, users in their fifties who was exposed to technology in their 20s appear to perform much better with modern computers than a people who started in their 40s  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-07-27. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

The answer is no. Definition of imprinting is:

A rapid learning process by which a newborn or very young animal establishes a behavior pattern of recognition and attraction towards other animals of its own kind, as well as to specific individuals of its species, such as its parents, or to a substitute for these. Ducklings, for example, will imprint upon and follow the first large moving object they observe. In nature, this is usually their mother, but they can be made to imprint upon other moving objects, such as a soccer ball.

Imprinting is not connected to learning social skills but attachment. Also the problem of learning of computing is matter of fluid, crystalized inteligence and anxiety are better predictors:

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1524856/>


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