Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of prior isolation upon aggression when gerbils are introduced into the cages of conspecifics. In Exp 1 isolation sharply increased aggression, and in Exp. 2, olfaction was a critical stimulus dimension accounting for this finding. It was also concluded that it was probably the odor of isolates rather than their behavior which was responsible.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
LumiaA. R.WesterveltM. O.RiederC. A.ReynierseJ. H.Olfactory and androgenic determinants of aggression in gerbils. Paper presented at the meeting of the Psychonomic Society, St. Louis, November, 1973.
2.
RiederC. A.LumiaA. R.Effects of olfactory bulb ablation on dominance-related behaviors of male Mongolian gerbils. Physiology and Behavior, 1973, 11, 365–369.
3.
RiederC. A.ReynierseJ. H.Effects of maintenance condition on aggression and marking behavior of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 1971, 75, 471–475.
4.
ThiessenD. D.The roots of territorial marking in the Mongolian gerbil: A problem of species-common topography. Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation, 1968, 1, 70–76.
