Abstract
Differential caging conditions (space/animal and animals/cage) during development resulted in altered adult open-field social behaviors even though adult animals had been individually housed for long periods before testing. Crowded cages during development resulted in a decrease of aggressive behavior and an increase in submissive behaviors when the adult animals were paired in the open-field. The observed changes in social behavior might be viewed as adaptations to the social environment in which the animal developed.
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This research was supported by Ohio University Research Grant 0-21000-3660 to David A. Johnson. Luther Diehl was supported by an NDEA Title IV predoctoral fellowship.
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Johnson, D.A., Diehl, L. Effect of population density during development on adult social behavior of the rat. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 5, 69–71 (1975). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336708
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03336708