The influence of changes of partners on the integration of the male-female set in rats

Abstract

Instrumental sexual responses were tested in two group; of rats. In Group 1 the subjects were tested with the same partners throughout the whole experiment, whereas in Group 2 the partners were changed every second week of experiment. The statistically significant positive correlations between the male and female response latencies were observed significantly more often in Group 1 than in Group 2, but only if the female partners were in estrous stage. It is suggested that mating with the same partner enhanced the degree of integration of the male-female set in rats.