Date of Award
Spring 2020
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Department/Major
Biology
First Advisor
Cliff Summers, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Kenneth Renner, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Patrick Ronan, Ph.D.
Keywords
Stress, Aggression, Social Interaction, Behavior, Phenotype
Subject Categories
Animal Studies
Abstract
Stress is a universal reaction. Short-term stress can be viewed as positive, as it can promote survival and encourage positive behaviors; whereas chronic stress that is unpredictable can lead to health defects and emotional pathologies. The Stress Alternatives Model (SAM) was created with the purpose of testing decision-making during socially stressful situations. Over the course of a four-day experiment, test mice are exposed to periods of social stress caused by bites inflicted onto them by a larger aggressive mouse. As a response to these attacks, test mice exhibit an array of behaviors and ultimately develop one of two adaptive phenotypes: Stay or Escape. The adoption of phenotypes results from the test mice having the opportunity to utilize escape holes contained in the SAM apparatus at any point during the experiment. Higher intensity levels of aggression lead to the development of the Stay phenotype. Mice who develop the Escape phenotype demonstrate defensive avoidance behavior, whereas mice who develop the Stay phenotype demonstrate fear-adaptive behavior.
Recommended Citation
Modlin, Tayler L., "Social Aggression and Stress-Related Phenotype Formation in the Stress Alternatives Model" (2020). Honors Thesis. 114.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/114