Social behaviors are affected by sebum scents
File, 2013-064-001-140
- Part of
- Algoma University Archives > Algoma University Theses collection > Psychology series > Social behaviors are affected by sebum scents
- Creator
- Barbara Burns
- Date
- 1992
- Physical Description
- 1.36 MB of textual records (PDF)
- General Material Designation
- Electronic record, Textual record
- Language(s)
- English
- Bibliographic Information
- Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.:, OSTMA-PSYC-Burns-Barbara-19920402
- Descriptive Notes
- Audience: Undergraduate. -- Dissertation: Thesis (B. A.). -- Algoma University, 1992. -- Submitted in partial fulfillment of course requirements for PSYC 4105. -- Includes figures. -- Contents: Thesis.
- The differences in gerbil behavior -thigmotaxis, nose-to-peg sniffing, self-grooming, marking- were investigated to determine if gerbils could identify sebum scent, as that of colony or non-colony members. Subjects were 10 male Mongolian gerbils Meriones Unquiculatus, approximately 4 months old. Each gerbil was observed in a test field containing a peg swabbed with familiar or unfamiliar sebum scents. Results indicated that the unfamiliar scent post was readily approached, explored marked than avoided. The familiar scent post was readily approached, sniffed and explored but not avoided. Gerbils in the presence of familiar scent groomed often and spent less time exploring the test field. There was a group mean interaction for grooming between the familiar and unfamiliar scents when four sebum smears were applied to the peg. These findings indicate that gerbils will approach gerbil sebum scent but their behaviors vary depending on the familiarity of the sebum scent.