Defensive Burying as a Function of Single-and Paired-Animal Testing Conditions

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Studied the relationship between single- and paired-animal testing in the defensive-burying situation. Twenty male Holtzman rats received defensive burying testing both individually and in pairs. Testing took place in a rectangular enclosure having a bedding-material floor. The discharge of a flashbulb served as the aversive stimulus. Individual testing resulted in significantly (p < .01) longer burying durations and greater accumulation of bedding material around the aversive stimulus. Whether Ss were individually tested before or after their paired-animal test session did not significantly influence their individual burying scores. Results indicate that individual Ss do not indiscriminately attack various aspects of the environment, and that the presence of a second animal shifts the focus of aggressive attention from the environment to the other animal.

This publication has 8 references indexed in Scilit: