The observation that laboratory - bred and - reared rats show fear responses when exposed to the odor of fox urine is evidence for:
A) the high emotionality of laboratory rats.
B) a heritable genetic component to emotional behavior.
C) the ability of rats to rapidly learn stimulus-response associations.
D) the need to keep foxes out of research laboratories.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The observation suggests that there is a heritable genetic component to emotional behavior as laboratory-bred rats have not had any previous exposure to fox urine yet still exhibit fear responses. It is less likely that the observation is a result of high emotionality or rapid stimulus-response learning, and keeping foxes out of research facilities may only be a practical solution rather than a scientific conclusion.

The Observation That Laboratory - Bred and - Reared Rats