Effects of Rat Sex Differences and Lighting on Locomotor Exploration of a Circular Open Field with Free-Standing Central Corners and Without Peripheral Walls
Loading...
Can’t use the file because of accessibility barriers? Contact us with the title of the item, permanent link, and specifics of your accommodation need.
Date
2008
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Permanent Link
Abstract
A typical open field consists of a square enclosure, bounded by four straight
walls joined by identical corners. For decades behavioral researchers have
used the open center and more sheltered perimeter of such fields to examine
the effects of drugs, sex differences, and illumination on the behavioral
expression of fear and anxiety. The present study used a circular field to
“reverse” the security of different areas, providing a center sheltered by six
free-standing corners and an open perimeter to re-examine the functional
relation of open field behavior to experience, sex differences and lighting.
Across six daily exposures, males in both the light and dark rapidly
increased their preference for the center. Females in the light developed a
similar pattern, though more slowly; females in the dark continued to spend
the great majority of their time in the open periphery, including the edge of
the field. The behavior of all groups, but especially the dark females,
strongly supports the continued importance of environmental assessment in
open field behavior.
Description
Keywords
Locomotor exploration, Sex differences, Behavior, Home base, Perimeter, Open field, Security
Citation
Journal
DOI
Link(s) to data and video for this item
Relation
Rights
Type
Article