The effect of time of test on muricide, irritability, and open-field activity in the rat

Abstract

Muricide, handling characteristics, and open-field activity were tested in either the light portion of a light-dark cycle or the dark portion of a reversed light-dark cycle in male Long-Evans hooded rats. Neither mouse killing nor irritability to handling were found to be related to time of test. There was slightly greater horizontal activity in dark-tested rats, who showed little evidence for habituation of exploratory behavior. Light-tested rats showed evidence for habituation of horizontal activity in the open field, along with enhanced rearing in the apparatus. © 1981, The psychonomic soceity, inc. All rights reserved.