What is the name of the mouse experiment? - briefly
The study is known as the Morris water maze, a spatial‑learning task commonly used with mice.
What is the name of the mouse experiment? - in detail
The experiment is commonly referred to as Calhoun’s “Mouse Utopia” study, also known as the “Behavioral Sink” investigation. Conducted in the 1960s, the research placed a population of house mice in a sealed, overcrowded enclosure that provided unlimited food, water, and nesting material. The enclosure measured roughly 3 × 3 × 2 feet and could accommodate up to 2,000 individuals, far exceeding the species’ natural social capacity.
Key aspects of the design include:
- Population introduction: Six breeding pairs were released into the habitat, allowing natural growth without external interference.
- Environmental controls: Temperature, lighting cycles, and resource availability remained constant throughout the experiment.
- Observation metrics: Researchers recorded birth rates, mortality, aggression incidents, social hierarchies, and the emergence of abnormal behaviors such as stereotypies, withdrawal, and hyper-aggression.
Results demonstrated that after an initial period of rapid population expansion, the colony reached a peak of approximately 2,200 mice. Subsequent generations exhibited a marked decline in reproductive success, increase in infant mortality, and the appearance of “behavioral sink” phenomena—social breakdown manifested by reduced grooming, disrupted mating rituals, and heightened territorial conflicts. By the experiment’s conclusion, the population dwindled to a few surviving individuals, many of which displayed severe physiological and psychological impairments.
The study’s implications extend to urban planning, population density management, and the understanding of stress‑induced behavioral pathology. It provides empirical evidence that excessive crowding can precipitate a cascade of social dysfunction, even when material resources are abundant.