Effects of early experience on mating behavior in male rats.

Abstract

Male rats reared in individual cages from infancy to adulthood, but given "conditioning" experiences exposing them to sexually receptive females or to other males, were given mating tests when they were approximately 100 days of age. No significant differences in frequency of copulation were noted, but ejaculation was less frequent in those animals previously exposed to either males or females than in control animals without such conditioning. This outcome is explained by the experimenters as due to interfering habits of reacting playfully towards other animals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)