Effect of presence of an imprinted object on response of ducklings in an open field and when exposed to a fear stimulus

This study was designed to determine whether ducklings would show evidence of attachment to a previously “imprinted” object when they were placed in an open field at 14 days of age. It was found that they did show attachment, spending considerably more time in the center of the field when the object was there than when it was absent. It was also found that when a fear object was placed in the field, half the ducklings stayed close to the imprinted object despite the fact that it meant being closer to the fear object than any duckling would tolerate in the absence of the imprinted object.