Fear, Risk Assessment, and Playfulness in the Juvenile Rat

The effects of predatory odors on play were assessed in juvenile rats. When rats were exposed directly to a collar previously worn by a cat, play was abolished and remained suppressed for up to 6 days. Providing rats with an opportunity to hide did not alter cat odor's ability to reduce their p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral neuroscience 2006-02, Vol.120 (1), p.49-59
Main Authors: Siviy, Stephen M, Harrison, Kelly A, McGregor, Iain S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Animal
Animal behavior
Animal ethology
Animal Play
Animal Predatory Behavior
Animal Social Behavior
Animals
Anxiety
Behavior, Animal
Biological and medical sciences
Fear
Fear & phobias
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Male
Mammalia
Neurology
Odorants
Odors
Olfactory Stimulation
Play and Playthings
Predation
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Rodents
Social Behavior
Vertebrata
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Summary:The effects of predatory odors on play were assessed in juvenile rats. When rats were exposed directly to a collar previously worn by a cat, play was abolished and remained suppressed for up to 6 days. Providing rats with an opportunity to hide did not alter cat odor's ability to reduce their play. Rat play was also suppressed shortly after they were exposed to cat odor in their home cage, and a substantial amount of risk assessment behavior was present up to 24 hr later. Trimethylthiazoline, a component found in fox feces, only reduced play during exposure. These data suggest that predatory odor-induced reductions in play may provide a useful model for gaining insight into the consequences of fear and anxiety in young animals.
ISSN:0735-7044
1939-0084
DOI:10.1037/0735-7044.120.1.49