EARLY EXPERIENCE AND EXPLORATIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE WHITE RAT |
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| Authors: | Thomas C. Nielsen |
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| Affiliation: | Institute of Psychology, University of Aarhus, Denmark |
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| Abstract: | Eleven rats were reared in a cage with moving figures. Eleven litter mates were reared in a similar cage but without figures. The rats from the more complex environment showed less locomotor activity in a checkerboard maze and, in a two-lever test box, higher preference for the lever which produced complex visual stimuli. It is proposed that rearing in stimulus poverty increases locomotor activity and reduces curiosity. |
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