Thirty nine WWCPS rats were tested in the exploration box throughout fifteen sessions. Factor analysis was run to extract the main dimensions describing rat behavior. Two factors were extracted, confirming the validity of the concept of two dimensional structure of individual differences in rats. Hierarchical cluster analysis run on factor scores showed that only three out of a possible four types of factor combinations are actually present within observed group of animals. In terms of individual differences structure, the study provide support for the view that laboratory rats are still rats.
The Polish adaptation of the NEO-FFI inventory (see Costa & McCrea, 1989; 1992b; Zawadzki et al. 2007) was used in the present study to assess the personality of dog handlers. For diagnosis of the emotional intelligence, the Polish scale Popular Questionnaire of Emotional Intelligence was used (Jaworowska & Matczak, 2005). There were 601 participants out of the total estimated number of 1408 police dog handlers in Poland. The results were compared with normalization tests for the measures used. The personality profile and emotional intelligence of dog handlers differ significantly from general population. Described in the NEO-FFI terms, police dog handlers are characterized by very low neuroticism, slightly above average extraversion, slightly below average openness to experience, a little above average agreeableness, and very high conscientiousness. In terms of emotional intelligence, they demonstrate higher control and understanding of emotions. It seems that the results obtained in the study may become relevant for the recruitment and training of police officers.
The purpose of the experiment was to investigate the effects of domestication on exploration in rats. The comparison was made between wild Warsaw-Wild-Captive-Pisula-Stryjek (WWCPS) rats and Wistar laboratory rats. The study used a purpose-built maze divided into zones connected with a corridor. Objects were placed in two out of four zones. Their location and shape were subject to experimental manipulation. Transporter used to move rats to the maze provided the opportunity for spontaneous exploration of the experimental arena. Rats were subjected to a series of 10 sessions (habituation), followed by a spatial or nonspatial change in the experimental arena, after which another 5 experimental sessions were conducted. The study revealed that wild rats had much higher exploration latency than their laboratory counterparts. At each analyzed stage, WWCPS rats spent much more time in the transporter than Wistar rats. Wistar rats spent much more time during the experiment on object interaction in the experimental arena. In post-manipulation sessions, however, it was wild rats that explored object zones relatively longer than laboratory rats. No differences in the animals’ behavior depending on the type of change were observed. Results suggest that wild rats tend to explore much more cautiously than laboratory rats and are more sensitive to changes in their environment. The underlying cause of these differences is likely to be the higher level of stress in wild rats, resulting from threats in their natural habitat.
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