Effects of social interaction on eating and drinking in two subspecies of deermice, Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii and Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis

Abstract

Pair combinations of Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii and Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis were given access to solid food and water or 8 per cent sucrose. All groups consumed more total calories under separate housing conditions than when the pair was housed together. No differences were found among the three cominations of subspecies, and cage size was not a significant variable. These results suggested testing Zajonc's theory of social facilitation, which states that the intensity of the most salient response increases in the presence of conspecifics at the expense of less probable responses. In the second experiment drinking was made the most salinet behaviour by placing the mice under 23-hr liquid deprivation. Contrary to theoretical predictions social inhibition was again demonstrated.