Premium
Differential effects of handling on exploration in male and female rats
Author(s) -
Weinberg Joanne,
Krahn Emily A.,
Levine Seymour
Publication year - 1978
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.420110309
Subject(s) - stimulus (psychology) , audiology , psychology , developmental psychology , biology , medicine , cognitive psychology
In this study, sex differences in the exploratory behavior of handled and nonhandled animals were measured under conditions of both high and low stimulus variation. The apparatus used was a hole‐board, which provided an exploratory response independent of ambulation. Significant effects of handling were found: nonhandled animals decreased head‐dipping over days whereas handled animals maintained a high rate. Sex differences were also observed: patterns of head‐dipping for males and females differed over days depending on whether objects were present (high stimulus variation) or absent (low stimulus variation) under the hole‐board; females also head‐dipped for longer durations than males when objects were present; further, males and females showed completely opposite patterns of exploration depending on handling treatment and on level of stimulus variation. We conclude that handling differentially affects males and females, particularly as level of stimulus variability changes.