Thursday, January 03, 2013

Rats In Cage


A psychologist named John B Calhoun performed a classic experiment with laboratory rats that demonstrated the territorial urge. He constructed a network of cages containing four pens, two with only one entrance which could be defined by dominant male and two in the middle which were difficult to defend. Two dominant males (with retinue of females) quickly established the desirable pens as their own territory, forcing the rest of the males to live in the central pens. The central pens became overcrowded and the rats fought constantly trying to establish territory. As the overcrowding got worse, so did the rats behavior – they formed gangs and raped, killed and became cannibals.
In their natural state, rats have elaborate courtship rituals and rarely fight to death. Overcrowding had induced anti-social or criminal behavior in the rats.

Isn't that explains human behavior as well? Limited resources inducing anti-social behavior in overcrowded area.

Over population is root cause of many of the problems in India. Isn't it?

Reference - Written In Blood

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