| Abstract: | Four experiments were conducted to examine the effects of pretest social isolation, sex of the social stimulus, and test cage familiarity on sex differences in play fighting in 156 juvenile Long-Evans rats. Reliable sex differences were found only when Ss were tested after 6 days of isolation in undisturbed cages (Exp III). In contrast to weak sex effects, pretest isolation and test cage familiarity were robust variables influencing levels of play fighting in juveniles of both sexes. Results are discussed in reference to procedural differences among experimental approaches that have examined sex differences in social play. It is suggested that social investigatory behavior and play behavior appear to be reciprocally related. Hence, the sex difference in social play is accompanied by an apparent reversal in the sex effect seen with social investigation. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
