Sociability behavior and the social environment

Abstract

The relationship between social living and sociability was studied in two experiments. The Ss’ social living conditions, established at weaning, were reversed 48 h prior to testing. Variations in sociability occur in the mature rat after 2–5 days of changed conditions and can be reversed by changes in social living conditions. Isolated Ss have higher sociability scores. If the differences in sociability are due to stimulus habituation, recency appears to be more important than frequency.