Artifactual seven-day cycles in spontaneous activity in wild rodents and squirrel monkeys.
- 1 January 1976
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology
- Vol. 90 (6) , 572-582
- https://doi.org/10.1037/h0077226
Abstract
Seven-day cycles in spontaneous activity were found in recently trapped Norway rats, chipmunks, ground squirrels, and squirrel monkeys [Rattus norvegicus, Tamais striatus, Citellus tridecemlineatus, Saimiri sciureus], but not in tame domesticated laboratory Norway rats and hamsters [Mesocricetus auratus]. This 7 day cycle was a function of emotional reactions of the wild animals to hitherto overlooked slight differences in activities of relevant human beings between weekdays and weekends. Elimination of the ability of wild animals to react to slight environment differences by blinding or deafening abolished the 7 day cycles. No definite evidence has been found for the presence of inherent 7 day cycles in animals or man.This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Animal Behavior and Internal DrivesThe Quarterly Review of Biology, 1927