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Fear and aggression in the rat
Author(s) -
Blanchard Robert J.,
Kleinschmidt Charles K.,
Flannelly Kevin J.,
Blanchard D. Caroline
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/1098-2337(1984)10:4<309::aid-ab2480100405>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - aggression , poison control , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , medical emergency , suicide prevention , occupational safety and health , psychology , developmental psychology , medicine , pathology
The effect of fear on two types of aggression in rats was investigated by adding a cat stimulus to a colony in which the dominant male was attacking an intruder (offensive aggression), or, to a tube test situation in which defensive biting was measured before and during tail shock. The cat completely abolished offense in the colony; when the cat was presented and removed before a strange rat was placed in the colony, attack on the intruder was also reduced. In contrast, defensive biting was unchanged or even slightly potentiated by the presence of the cat, demonstrating a separation of the effects of fear on offensive and defensive aggression.