Abstract
Latané and his co-workers have reported that several static stimulus variables do not affect social attraction between laboratory rats tested in an open-field apparatus. These variables include absence of fur, color of fur, perfumed fur, and sex of subject. Experiments are reported here that suggest that static stimulus variables related to kinship, age, and sex of companion exert a significant influence on social attraction and social exploration measured in an operant response situation. Social operant behavior varied as a function of stimulus factors in several situations: littermates paired with other littermates vs. strangers, dams exposed to young offspring vs. young strangers, dams exposed to young offspring vs. adult offspring, and adult rats exposed to their dams or to strange females.
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References
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Deni, R., Vocino, J. & Epstein, M. Effects of kinship, age, and sex on social preferences in rats measured in an operant response situation. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 16, 31–33 (1980). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03337086
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03337086