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Effect of early environmental restriction on subsequent behavior in the rat

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Summary

Three groups of rats were raised in (a) unrestricted, (b) community cage, and (c) isolated environments respectively. The community and isolated cages were barren while the unrestricted environment contained ladders, alleys, mazes, and tunnels. All animals were tested, beginning at the age of 70 days, for emotionality, exploratory behavior, variability, and the ability to formulate and break a set. Results show the unrestricted group to score significantly higher on all of these measures except emotionality and exploratory behavior, which did not differentiate between the groups.

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The author wishes to thank Dr. W. N. Kellogg for his suggestions and invaluable assistance. This report is based on a paper read at the 1957 meeting of the Florida Psychological Association.

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Hoffman, C.S. Effect of early environmental restriction on subsequent behavior in the rat. Psychol Rec 9, 171–177 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03393343

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03393343

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