It was possible to distinguish the group of "outcasts" by bitten tails, torn hair and traces of blood on the body. There is physically less space than there was before.Ī category of "outcasts" appeared, who were expelled to the center of the tank, they often became victims of aggression. At that moment, about 600 mice lived in the tank, a certain hierarchy and a certain social life were formed. ![]() Starting from the 315th day of the experiment, the population growth rate slowed down significantly, now the number doubled every 145 days, which marked the entry into the third phase C. This is the stage of exponential growth of the population in the tank under ideal conditions, the number of mice doubled every 55 days. The experiment started from the moment of placing four pairs of healthy mice inside the tank, which took quite a bit of time to get used to, realize what kind of mouse fairy tale they were in, and begin to multiply rapidly.Ĭalhoun called the development period phase A, but from the moment of the birth of the first cubs, the second stage B began. However, there have never been such a number of mice in the tank, the maximum population size was noted at the level of 2200 mice. There was more than enough space for the mice, the first problems of lack of shelter could arise only when the population reached more than 3840 individuals. The system of providing food and water was so well thought out that 9500 mice could simultaneously eat without experiencing any discomfort,and 6144 mice could consume water without experiencing any problems. The experimental mice were constantly monitored by veterinarians, their health status was constantly monitored. He conducted his most famous experiment, which made an entire generation think about the future, in 1972 together with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Įvery week, the tank was cleaned and maintained in constant cleanliness, all necessary safety measures were taken: the appearance of predators in the tank or the occurrence of mass infections was excluded. With his research, John Calhoun gained some fame in the 60s, as many people in Western countries experiencing the post-war baby boom began to think about how overpopulation would affect public institutions and everyone in particular. Calhoun invariably chose rodents as experimental subjects, although the ultimate goal of research has always been to predict the future for human society.Īs a result of numerous experiments on rodent colonies, Calhoun formulated a new term - "behavioral sink", which denotes the transition to destructive and deviant behavior in conditions of overpopulation and crowding. ![]() Why did this happen? And what lessons should humanity learn from this?Īmerican ethologist John Calhoun conducted a number of amazing experiments in the 60-70s of the twentieth century. However, as a result, the entire colony of mice became extinct. As part of a social experiment, paradisiacal conditions were created for the mouse population: unlimited supplies of food and drink, the absence of predators and diseases, sufficient space for reproduction.
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