EFFECTS OF INCUBATOR REARING WITH SOCIAL DEPRIVATION ON MATERNAL BEHAVIOR IN RATS

A PROCEDURE FOR REARING INFANT RATS SEPARATED FROM THE MOTHER ON THE DAY OF BIRTH WAS DEVELOPED AND USED TO STUDY EFFECTS OF PREWEANING DEPRIVATION OF MOTHER AND PEERS ON SUBSEQUENT MATERNAL BEHAVIOR. HOLTZMAN ALBINO FEMALES WERE REARED FOR DAYS 1-25 OF LIFE WITH OR WITHOUT PEERS, AND IN AN INCUBATOR OR WITH A MOTHER. AT MATURITY, FOLLOWING MATING AND PARTURITION, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DIFFERENCE AMONG THE GROUPS ON DIRECT OBSERVABLE MATERNAL BEHAVIORS. HOWEVER, OFFSPRING OF INCUBATOR REARED SS SHOWED A HIGHER MORTALITY RATE AND A SIGNIFICANT DELAY IN EYE-OPENING. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.