PAVLOVIAN CONDITIONING OF SOCIAL-AFFILIATIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE MONGOLIAN GERBIL (MERIONES-UNGUICULATUS)

Gerbils learned to approach a spatial-olfactory stimulus that signaled access to their pairmate. Experiments 1 and 3 used a discrimination p rocedure in which 1 conditioned stimulus (the CS+) was presented immed iately before access to the pairmate and another (the CS-) was present ed alone. Both male and female gerbils came to approach the CS+ sooner than the CS- and spent more time near the CS+ than the CS-. Discrimin ation learning was facilitated by making the CS+ and CS- spatially dis tinct (Experiment 3). Learning also was demonstrated in male gerbils, using a between-subjects design with a single CS. Pairing the CS with the opportunity for social interact ion resulted in greater approach t o the CS within 10 trials than presenting the CS and social opportunit y in an unpaired fashion (Experiment 2). These findings demonstrate so cial-affiliative learning in the Mongolian gerbil. Similarities and di fferences between these findings and sexual conditioning effects in ot her species are discussed.