The behavior of rats during copulation as a function of prior copulatory experience

Abstract

The behavioral patterns accompanying the copulatory behavior of nine male rats with no prior adult copulatory experience were compared with those of nine males that had experienced four prior tests. Age was controlled. Effects of experience on standard measures of copulatory behavior were similar to those in earlier work. There were no significant differences in other behavioral patterns as a function of experience. Thus, the tendency to display various behavioral patterns during copulatory activity appears completely formed prior to the first such activity and generally unaffected by adult copulatory experience.