Evidence of social facilitation effects has been notably inconsistent in investigations using laboratory rats as subjects. The present study was designed to provide a systematic test of Zajonc's arousal hypothesis and to investigate the effects of four social stimulation conditions on running and eating behaviors of 20 white rats. The results indicated that social stimuli resulted in response inhibition, rather than facilitation. It is suggested that the social facilitation paradigm be modified to include additional parameters and response specifications.
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