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Prenatal psychological stress and offspring behavior in rats and mice
Author(s) -
Archer John E.,
Blackman Derek E.
Publication year - 1971
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.420040302
Subject(s) - offspring , clarity , prenatal stress , psychology , developmental psychology , reactivity (psychology) , pregnancy , clinical psychology , medicine , biology , pathology , biochemistry , genetics , alternative medicine
The experimental literature on the behavioral sequelae of prenatal stress in rodents is reviewed, from which few conclusions can be drawn except that some change in activity‐reactivity may be induced. Were more careful consideration given to certain methodologic dimensions, greater clarity of empirical relations could be achieved. These dimensions are: ( 1 ) the sex, species, and strain of animal observed; ( 2 ) the specification of the prenatal manipulation; and ( 3 ) the precision and completeness of the behavioral description which is the dependent variable studied. Multiple descriptions, as in a test‐battery approach, appear to be inefficient and generally unwarranted.