EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO MALES ON SEXUAL PREFERENCE IN FEMALE MICE

Female mice born and reared in a room housing both adult males and females preferred normal males to castrated males when tested at 15 weeks of age, even if there had been no males in the same cage. By contrast, females born and raised in a room housing no males preferred castrated males to normal males. Further experiments showed that, even without direct contact, exposure to males for 4 days within 4 weeks of age was sufficient to produce postpuberal preference for normal males. Females exposed to males for 4 days between 14 and 25 days of age preferred normal males even after sexual experience with preputialectomized males. It is concluded that the learning process resembles imprinting. © 1978.