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Age group differences in bovine investigatory behavior
Author(s) -
Murphey Robert M.,
Duarte Francisco A. Moura,
Novaes Washington Coelho,
Penedo Maria Cecília Torres
Publication year - 1981
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.420140205
Subject(s) - stimulus (psychology) , psychology , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology
The general relationship between age and investigatory behavior in mammals, and perhaps other taxa, is probably an inverted U‐shaped function, but is said to be a negative correlation in bovines. In Observation Set 1,5 developmental levels of domestic cattle were compared in their responsiveness to a novel stimulus in the form of a person lying on the ground. The age group‐behavior relationship approximated an inverted U. In Observation Set II, 3 developmental levels were compared and the animals' responses to a ball and to the reclined figure of a person were studied. Qualitatively, the cattle reacted similarly to both the inanimate and the human objects; again, the relationship between age and investigatory tendencies appeared to be an inverted U‐shaped function for both stimuli.