Abstract
Experimental mice were handled daily from birth to weaning, whereas, the control animals were not disturbed. At adulthood the animals were tested on two consecutive trials for visual stimulus-seeking behavior in a Greek-cross maze with black, white, striped, and squared arms. Two measures were taken, frequency of entrance into each compartment, and a 10-sec. time sampling of each animal's location during each 180-sec. trial. A significant effect for compartment for both the handled and nonhandled groups was noted for frequency of entrance and a significant preference for the visually complex compartments for the handled animals over controls. Early handling probably results in significant stimulus-seeking behavior for visually complex environments.
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