Arousal of sexual and aggressive contact by exposure to stressors in albino rats.
Since certain forms of aggressive and sexual activity are associated with elevated adrenal steroid activity, the hypothesis explored here was whether subjection to a stressful environment which is known to elevate adrenal output would arouse both sexual and aggressive behavior. Accordingly, 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to either physical restraint and heat or a nonstress control environment for 13 days. Following this treatment Ss were tested for sexual and aggressive behavior. As predicted, the stressed Ss showed increased levels of ano-genital sniffing of an estrus female, as well as increased intermale aggressiveness.
D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*