Thesiss

Virtually all animals experience adverse circumstances during their lifetimes. Often, it is not necessarily the events themselves, but rather the psychological appraisal of the events that determine whether a state of stress, fear or anxiety exists. The majority of studies exami…

Social conflict is a part of everyday life, and it can be a potent stressor for both humans and other animals. In the laboratory, when two Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) compete for territory, a dominance hierarchy is quickly formed. Becoming subordinate is a significant…

Following social defeat, male hamsters exhibit behavioral changes characterized by a breakdown of normal territorial aggression and an increase in submissive/defensive behaviors in the presence of a non-aggressive intruder (NAI). We have termed this phenomenon conditioned defeat…