Behavior of attack-primed and attack-satiated female golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

In 3 experiments with 50 female hamsters, "priming" the S by allowing it one biting attack on a smaller, methotrimeprazine-treated target hamster significantly decreased its latency to attack a subsequently presented probe target. Conversely, the latency of attacks on the probe was increased, and the number of attacks decreased, if the S was first "satiated" by allowing it 1 hr of ad-lib access to a target followed by a series of briefer target presentations until a criterion of 3 successive presentations without attack was met. The respective aggression-increasing and aggression-decreasing effects of these manipulations were also demonstrated in more naturalistic, unrestrained encounters between pairs of Ss that had just been exposed to the same manipulation. Neither manipulation affected the nonaggressive behaviors of sunflower seed acceptance and wheel running, which suggests that the effects of attack priming and satiation may be specific to aggression. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)