Explorations of coping strategies, learned persistence, and resilience in Long-Evans rats: innate versus acquired characteristics.
In the current investigation, predispositions for coping styles (i.e., passive, flexible, and active) were determined in juvenile male rats. In subsequent behavioral tests, flexible copers exhibited more active responses. In another study, animals were exposed to chronic stress and flexible coping rats had lower levels of corticosteroids. Focusing on the acquired nature of coping strategies, rats receiving extensive training in a task requiring them to dig for food rewards (i.e., effort-based rewards) persisted longer in a challenging task than control animals. Thus, the results suggest that both predisposed coping strategies and acquired behavioral experience contribute to resilience in challenging situations.
Lambert
Kelly G
KG
Department of Psychology, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005, USA. klambert@rmc.edu
Tu
Kelly
K
Everette
Ashley
A
Love
Gennifer
G
McNamara
Ilan
I
Bardi
Massimo
M
Kinsley
Craig H
CH
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000818:Animals; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans / Q000523:psychology*