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Experimental programming of life histories: Toward an experimental science of individual differences
Author(s) -
Denenberg Victor H.,
Whimbey Arthur E.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420010111
Subject(s) - offspring , weaning , psychology , developmental psychology , exploratory research , exploratory analysis , factorial experiment , reactivity (psychology) , medicine , pregnancy , biology , statistics , genetics , alternative medicine , data science , mathematics , pathology , sociology , anthropology , computer science
Four experimental variables were combined in a 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. These were ( 1 ) infantile handling vs. no handling of the mothers of the subjects, ( 2 ) infantile handling vs. no handling of the subjects, ( 3 )rearing of the subjects in either a maternity cage or a free environment between birth and weaning, and ( 4 ) rearing of the subjects in either a laboratory cage or a free environment between weaning and 42 days of age ( N = 6 Purdue‐Wistar rats per group). Starting at 220 days of age, the groups were given a battery of tests which measured emotional reactivity, exploratory behavior, and consumption‐elimination. Analysis of the criterion data revealed the following: ( 1 ) handling pups in infancy reduced emotional reactivity and this reduction was found to be invariant with respect to different combinations of life history experiences; ( 2 ) exploratory behavior was markedly influenced by the animal's pattern of life experiences; ( 3 ) when mothers were handled during their infancy, their offspring explored significantly less than offspring of nonhandled mothers.