Some effects of early social stimulation on the emotional reactivity of ducklings |
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| Authors: | Sandra H Klein Howard S Hoffman Peter DePaulo |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr College, Dalton Hall, 19010, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
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| Abstract: | Newly hatched Khaki Campbell ducklings were housed with a conspecific for 24 h beginning at either 1 or 5 days of age. A third group of ducklings received no social stimulation. When tested on Day 7, ducklings afforded early social stimulation exhibited less distress calling and crouching in a novel open field than ducklings exposed to late or no social stimulation. A second experiment asked whether the above result was due to early social stimulation per se or to the separation which occurred at its termination. Newly hatched ducklings were housed with a conspecific beginning on Day 1. One-half of the birds were separated from their companions on Day 2; the rest were separated on Day 6. On Day 7, the ducklings that were separated early exhibited less crouching and distress calling in a novel open field than the birds that were separated late. This finding implies that the withdrawal of social stimulation, rather than social stimulation perse, was responsible for the reduced emotional behavior observed in Experiment I. It is concluded that early withdrawal of social stimulation generated a strong aversive reaction and that it was the strength and timing of this reaction that mediated the emotionality moderating effects found here. Under these circumstances, the primary function of early social stimulation was to establish a condition whereby the aversive reaction generated by separation would occur early. |
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