No abstract

To assess the relationship between heart rate and defecation frequency as comparable measures of emotionality, both were recorded simultaneously from albino rats in a novel environment and in the home cage. Subgroups receiving different numbers of trials were used under both environmental conditions to distinguish the possible effects of distribution of trials and age. Heart rate and defecation frequency were higher in the novel environment. Intertrial adaptation to the novel environment over 30 successive test days appeared in defecation frequency but not in heart rate. Intratrial adaptation appeared in heart rate. Heart rate and defecation frequencies were not significantly correlated, either for individual Ss or groups. Heart rate was higher in females than males, but defecation frequency did not vary with sex.

OBTAINED STATISTICALLY RELIABLE DOMINANCE ORDERS WITH THE "WEDGE" TECHNIQUE, A MEASURE BASED ON COMPETITIVE FEEDING, WHICH CORRELATED POSITIVELY AND SIGNIFICANTLY WITH ORDERS OBTAINED BY THE OBSERVATION OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR. AMONG FLOCKS THAT HAD BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR AT LEAST 2 MO., FLOCK SIZE DID NOT PRODUCE DIFFERENCES IN THE RELIABILITY OF THE DOMINANCE ORDER, ALTHOUGH THE ORDERS IN LARGE FLOCKS MAY BE LESS RELIABLE DURING THE 1ST FEW WEEKS AFTER FLOCK FORMATION. RELIABILITY OF THE DOMINANCE ORDER WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE LEVEL OF DEPRIVATION UNDER WHICH SS WERE OBSERVED NOR BY CHANGES IN THE LEVEL OF DEPRIVATION DURING TESTING; RELIABILITY INCREASED WITH INCREASING AGE OR AMOUNT OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER BIRDS.