Gathering Behavior in Female Mice: Effects of Experience and Parturition

Abstract

Female Swiss-Webster mice (N = 36), about 60 days old, were tested on 35 consecutive days under conditions of pregnancy/lactation, ovariectomy and intact (no treatment). Stimulus materials (yarn and paper strips) were systematically dispersed over the floor area of the home cage and 5 min. allotted for gathering. Scoring was in terms of differences in the dispersion of the stimuli. All materials were removed from the cage after the 5-min. test. The three groups all improved over the 5 wk. of testing (F = 64.24, p < .001), regardless of hormonal condition. The pregnant/lactating group displayed a significant increase in gathering between their pre- and post-partum test days (t = 5.05, p < .001) and differed from the other 2 groups only during the post-partum tests (H = 6.80, p < .05). None of these Ss had an opportunity to build or utilize a “nest.”

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