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Developmental changes in open‐field behavior in the kitten
Author(s) -
Frederickson Christopher J.,
Frederickson M. H.
Publication year - 1979
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.420120611
Subject(s) - kitten , open field , psychology , developmental psychology , zoology , biology , medicine , cats , psychiatry
Seventy‐eight kittens from 3 to 7 weeks of age were studied in an open‐field arena. Three major age‐dependent changes were noted: (1) the number of floor squares entered was markedly higher for 5‐ and 6‐week‐olds than for younger animals, and slightly lower for 7‐week‐olds than for 5‐ and 6‐week‐olds; (2) the tendency to backtrack from 1 square to a just‐vacated square decreased with age, the largest change occurring between 4 and 5 weeks of age; (3) the within‐session decrement in locomotion was largest for 3‐week‐old kittens but was smallest for 4‐week‐olds and increased monotonically with age thereafter. The results suggest a possible role of hippocampal maturation.