Social isolation and dominance behavior.

Abstract

Effects of social isolation on dominance behavior were investigated with an underwater dominance test performed under more stringent and demanding conditions that previous ones. Of each pair of littermates, the S[subject] which forced back its opponent to escape from an underwater tube was defined as dominant. Ss isolated for 5 wk. from 17 days of age were significantly more dominant that littermates that had been raised in groups of 10. Results are consistent with those of Kuo (1960) and Ginsburg and Allee (1942), who investigated the effects of social isolation on attack behavior of quail and mice, respectively.