Influences of social isolation during development on sexual behavior of the rat

Abstract

Male and female rats were weaned at 14 days of age and raised in social isolation or with three other animals. At maturity the male isolates displayed less male sexual behavior than the socially reared Ss. Female isolates, after ovariectomy and injection with androgen, exhibited much less male sexual behavior than control females similarly tested. After being brought into estrus by injections of estrogen and progesterone, the female sexual behavior of female social and isolate Ss did not differ. Data were interpreted as indicating that social isolation during development deprives rats of critical experiences necessary for development of appropriate responses to social stimuli eliciting male copulatory behavior in both sexes. © 1973 Psychonomic Society, Inc.