RAT PUP HUDDLING: INTEGRATING MODELS AND EXPERIMENTS

众所周知，单个的幼鼠在基本的调节功能上是无能的， 但在成群或挤作一团时，幼崽会表现出“群体调节行为”。“这 一项提案旨在更深入地了解蜷缩的个体发生 作为接触行为，这将成为一个普遍的和综合的 心理生物学的方法，具有潜在的深远影响， 人类婴儿的健康和发育。 为此， 由幼鼠形成的一种拥挤的行为， 从遵循简单规则的个体中产生：模型生成 接触行为的模式类似于在真实的幼崽中观察到的那些。 使用这个模型，提出了测试，将挑战它与各种 扰动：（1）不同的环境温度，（2） 环境温度，（3）相互作用幼崽数量的变化，以及（4） 幼仔年龄（成熟度）的变化。 在每种情况下，相同的行为 将测量模型和大鼠幼仔中的参数。 个人和 将对群体行为进行定量比较。 实用尺寸 和理论上的重要性，例如，拥挤的配置，活动状态， 稳定性和发展轨迹可以用来测试模型， 以及通过发展来诊断群体行为的组织。 第二套目标--旨在改进模型--是 并提出了 Swarm（一种高级计算机建模系统，开发于 圣菲复杂性研究所）将被用于（5）建模拥挤 和运动模式在复杂的环境中，以及（6）扩大 将模型转化为定义、描述和整合个体发育的形式 涉及感觉和运动能力的变化。

Individual infant rats are notoriously inept at basic regulatory functions, yet in clumps or huddles, pups display "group regulatory behavior." This proposal aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the ontogeny ofhuddling as contact behavior which will become a generalizable and integrative approach in psychobiology, with potentially profound implications for the health and development of human infants. To this end, a model was developed of huddling by infant rat pups in which complex group dynamics emerge from individuals following simple rules: the model generates patterns of contact behavior that resemble those observed in real pups. Using this model, tests are proposed that will challenge it with a variety of perturbations: (1) different ambient temperatures, (2) cycles of ambient temperature, (3) variations in number of interacting pups, and (4) variations in age (maturity) of pups. In each case, identical behavioral parameters in the model and in rat pups will be measured. Individual and group behavior will be compared quantitatively. Dimensions of practical and theoretical importance, e.g., huddling configurations, activity states, stability, and developmental trajectories can be used to test the model, as well as to diagnose the organization of group behavior through development. A second set oa Aims--designed in anticipation of improving the model-are also proposed. Swarm (an advanced computer modeling system developed at the Sante Fe Institute on Complexity) will be used to (5) model huddling and movement patterns in complex environments, as well as (6) expand athe model into a form that defines, describes, and incorporates ontogenetic changes involving sensory and motor capacities.