In One Study, Rats Licked Frequently During Infancy by Their

question 50

Multiple Choice

In one study, rats licked frequently during infancy by their mothers were calmer than rats licked infrequently when faced with stress later in life. What is the most likely explanation for this difference?

• A) The rat pups that were frequently licked learned to engage in the licking behavior as a coping strategy during times of stress.
• B) Because mothers who chose to lick their pups had a calmer demeanor, their pups were raised in less stressful environments.
• C) By licking their pups, these mothers had influenced the expression of genes that influenced responses to a stress hormone.
• D) The "licking" prone mothers only cared for the calmest pups of the litter, causing the more aggressive pups to die prematurely.

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Definitions:

Entropy Principle

A concept often related to thermodynamics and information theory, referring to the measure of disorder or randomness in a system. In psychology, it may relate to the complexity and unpredictability of human behavior and thought.

Differentiation Principle

In psychology, this refers to the process through which individuals develop a stronger sense of self by distinguishing themselves from others.

Opposition Principle

Jung’s idea that conflict between opposing processes or tendencies is necessary to generate psychic energy.

Equivalence Principle

In physics, it states that gravitational and inertial forces are of a similar nature and often indistinguishable.