Admin Table of Contents
What did Calhoun mean by the behavioral sink?
“Behavioral sink” is a term invented by ethologist John B. Calhoun to describe a collapse in behavior which can result from overcrowding. Calhoun’s work became used as an animal model of societal collapse, and his study has become a touchstone of urban sociology and psychology in general.
What was Universe 25 experiment?
“Universe 25” was a study carried out from 1954 to 1972 by John B. Calhoun, an American ethologist and behavioral researcher who claimed bleak effects of overpopulation on rodents were a grim model for the future of the human race.
What was Calhoun’s study about?
Calhoun, a research psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health for 40 years, discovered that severe crowding produced horrific behavioral changes among animals. The changes were so profound that social order broke down, and ultimately the entire rodent population collapsed.
What called white mouse?
Laboratory mice are usually of the species Mus musculus. Other mouse species sometimes used in laboratory research include two American species, the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and the North American deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus).
Can mice survive in water?
Although not their preferred form of travel, mice do fairly well in the water. Exhibiting great endurance and flexibility, mice can swim and tread water for up to 3 days. When fully submerged, mice can also hold their breath for up to three minutes. It seems there are no conditions a mouse can’t handle.
Who did experiment on rats?
In the 1950s, Curt Richter, a professor at Johns Hopkins, did a famous drowning rats psychology experiment. This experiment, though cruel, demonstrated the power of hope and resilience in overcoming difficult situations.
Why is it called Universe 25?
In pursuit of truths inherent to societies of mammals, renowned ethologist John B. Calhoun constructed a utopian environment, dubbed “Universe 25”, for four pairs of house mice (Calhoun 82), and observed their behavioral patterns over a period exceeding five years.