CAUSAL ANALYSIS OF KITTEN VOCALIZATION - OBSERVATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY

Observation of eight kitten litters under semi-natural conditions revealed that maternal and littermate behaviours were associated with increases or decreases in the probability of kitten vocalization. Experimental study, in which kittens were exposed to cold, restraint, and isolation during the first six weeks of life, revealed differences in the rate of vocalization across weeks and across stimulus conditions. Analyses of peak fundamental frequency, duration of cry units, and peak amplitude of kitten vocalizations showed significant differences across either stimulus conditions or weeks. These results are discussed with reference to development of physiological mechanisms such as homoiothermy, to crucial changes in the litter situation, and to the vocalization's role in affecting mother-infant relations. © 1979.