Visual vs Locomotor Response Effects on Satiation to Novel Stimuli: A Sex Difference in Rats

Abstract

To determine the relative effects of visual and locomotor exploration on satiation of responses to a novel stimulus, 28 male and 28 female rats were each randomly assigned to one of 4 groups: held vs not held in a small container, with the stimulus either present or absent, in a 2 × 2 × 2 design. In a subsequent free exploration test using the same stimulus, it was found that females made more exploratory responses than males ( p < .001), and holding increased subsequent exploratory behavior ( p < .01), especially in females. It was concluded that, at least for female rats, prior enforced exposure to a novel stimulus is not sufficient for satiation to that stimulus, and the necessity for a certain degree of locomotor exploration was suggested. In addition, a marked sex difference in exploratory behavior was noted.