Abstract
Previous studies have reported that general activity can be distinguished from stimulus reactivity and is under separate genetic control in Mus musculus. The present study was designed to measure these processes in gerbils. During a 15-min test period, measures were recorded for 70 male and female gerbils at 60 and 120 days of age. The test relied more on the gerbil’ s tactile exploration of the stimulus and less on exploration by visual acuity from afar. A principal components factor analysis revealed two primary factors operating in the gerbils’ exploratory behavior. One factor was attributed to general locomotor activity; the other was attributed to the complexity of the stimulus (stimulus reactivity). Implications on the use of this procedure for this species in future research are discussed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Pettijohn, T. F., & Barkes, B. M. Surface choice and behavior in adult Mongolian gerbils. Psychological Record, 1978, 28, 299–303.
Simmel, E. C., & Eleftheriou, B. E. Multivariate and behavior genetic analysis of avoidance of complex visual stimuli and activity in recombinant inbred strains of mice. Behavior Genetics, 1977, 7, 239–250.
Thompson, R. W., & Lippman, L. G. Exploration and activity in the gerbil and the rat. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1972, 80, 439–448.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rosenfeld, J., Lasko, L.A. & Simmel, E.C. Multivariate analysis of exploratory behavior in gerbils. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 12, 239–241 (1978). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329682
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329682