Two experiments were designed to compare the attractiveness to 3-day-old chicks of rough-lined and smooth-lined objects. In Exp. I chicks were reared individually in a pen containing a small open-ended box which was either rough-lined or smooth-lined. Chicks returned to the box after separation more often when reared with the smooth-lined box than when reared with the rough-lined box. In Exp. II chicks were reared in pens containing two boxes, one smooth-lined and one rough-lined. After separation most chicks showed a preference for the smooth-lined box. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to studies of ‘contact comfort’ and of imprinting.
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