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Cited by 22Primate Behavior and EcologyAnimal Behavior and ReproductionNeuroendocrine regulation and behavior

The Goldilocks Principle: Balancing Familiarity and Novelty in the Selection of Play Partners in Groups of Juvenile Male Rats

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Ham, Jackson, Pellis, Sergio·2023·Animal Behavior and Cognition
DOI 10.26451/abc.10.04.02.2023
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Abstract

Like many mammals, rats frequently engage in play fighting as juveniles, an activity that influences the development of socio-cognitive skills. Most studies that assess play are based on staged dyadic encounters, implying that some average quantity and quality of play are sufficient to produce these developmental effects. However, there are individual differences, with some rats not only preferring to play more, but also to have more physical contact than others. Given that rats have individual differences in play, it raises the possibility that rats might express these preferences when playing in groups. To determine whether rats form partner preferences, trials were conducted in which a focal rat was given the opportunity to play with three partners of varying familiarity. One partner was a cage mate, another was housed on the other side of a transparent and perforated divider and so familiar, but not a prior play partner, and the third was a stranger from another cage. A total of 36 focal rats, between 30-36 days of age, were tested and video recorded in 20-minute trials following 2.5 h of social isolation. Focal rats expressed a preference for neighbors over both strangers and cage mates, indicating that balancing between familiarity and novelty influences social play partner preferences. Mechanisms by which this preference might have been established, such as dominance relationships, weight differences, and congruency of play style, were investigated, but none were correlated with the preferences expressed. This group dynamics perspective provides a novel approach to studying play, and more generally, provides insights into social exploration and decision-making.

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  • Sample sizes were based on group numbers used in prior studies rather than an a priori power analysis because variance estimates for triadic play measures are limited.

    “Sample sizes were based on group numbers used in our prior studies employing similar social play paradigms (Ham et al. 2025; Ham and Pellis 2023, 2024, 2025), rather than on an a priori power analysis, as variance estimates for triadic play measures are currently limited.”

    From Partner Choice and Context‐Dependent Sex Differences in Rat Rough‐and‐Tumble Play (2026) · cites this paper as Ham and Pellis 2023

  • When tested in groups with individuals of varying familiarity, males prefer to play with novel, unfamiliar partners over familiar cage mates.

    “When tested in groups, where the individuals are of varying familiarity (i.e., cage mate, individual on the other side of a clear and perforated divider, or a complete stranger), males prefer to play with novel, unfamiliar partners over familiar cage mates (Ham and Pellis 2023).”

    From Partner Choice and Context‐Dependent Sex Differences in Rat Rough‐and‐Tumble Play (2026) · cites this paper as Ham and Pellis 2023

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Authors
Ham, J., & Pellis, S.
Affiliations
University of Lethbridge (CA)
Corresponding author
Ham, Jackson
ORCID
Venue
Animal Behavior and Cognition
Publisher
Animal Behavior and Cognition
Published
2023-11-01
Volume
10
Issue
4
Pages
304-328
ISSN
2372-4323 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.26451/abc.10.04.02.2023
OpenAlex
W4389132495
Cited by
22
References
18
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 2
FWCI
6.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (2018-03706)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
Keywords
social play, familiarity, novelty, young rats, social isolation, group dynamics, social exploration, social decision-making, dominance relations, physical contact, socio-cognitive development

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