>I am trying to track down a study from the 1960's where rats were given
>unlimited food, and when crowding reached a certain level, extreme
>asggression occurred, and the coloony eventually died out? Or in my
>senility, am I confusing research with rats with old science fiction
>stories?
>
>David Griese'
>SUNY Farmingdale
>From Denny and Ratner's (1970) _Comparative Psychology_, a brief
description of Calhoun research (p. 432):
"Calhoun (1962) has also found deterioration of group behaviors including
mating, care of the young, and nest building among laboratory rats that
became overcrowded in a small portion of their living space. Calhoun
interpreted these data in terms of learning and frustration (blocking) of
learned responses. specifically, he hypothesized that the rats became
social feeders which led them to eat frequently, but only for very brief
periods, that is, because of the presence of a central food supply each rat
ate whenever another rat was observed to be eating. This interfered with
the completion of other ongoing behaviors such as nesting, mating, and care
of the yound. Cal houn called this abnormal social situation a "behavioral
sink." These data suggest some of the xomplexities of behavior of animals
in groups in terms of the variables affecting them and their changing
form."
Calhoun, J.B. (1962). Behavioral sink. In E. L. Bliss (Ed.), _Roots of
Behvavior_, New York: Hayser.
Bob
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Robert T. Herdegen III
Department of Psychology Zen master to hot dog vendor:
Hampden-Sydney College "Make me one with everything."
Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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