In a natural environment (even though the number of litters is lower than in the experiment) most young mice reach maturity. This atypical behavior among the mice of the utopian universe was observed. The population now doubled every 145 days in contrast to just 55 days in the previous phase.
In phase C, slower population growth was noticed. However, it was the phenomena observed in phase C of the experiment that were later discussed worldwide for decades. It is impossible to observe such a high birth rate in a natural mouse environment because the majority of litters simply die during their first days of life. That was the first sign suggesting that things may take an unexpected course. The Dionysian attitude of the participants in the experiment resulted in the increase of the number of young mice, which in turn surpassed the number of old mice three times by the end of the third phase. This graph shows the number of new births in certain units of the mice environment.Īs the population grew, the best habitual units were being occupied by organized social groups. The more active males were impregnating more females than their passive colleagues. The birth rate depended on the domination of males occupying particular units. In some sectors as many as 111 litters were born in others there were only 13 (eight times less). There was some disproportion in the number of births in certain units, however. Whenever the litters reached sexual maturity they were becoming parents themselves. The population doubled every 55 days on average until it reached 620 mice. PHASE B 104-315 DAYSĭuring this period, social development was observed. The mice were slowly trying to get used to each other as well as to adjust to the incredibly luxurious surroundings. PHASE A 0-104 DAYSįour pairs of mice were placed in the enclosed area.Ĭonsiderable social turmoil was noticed during the first 104 days. In order to retain symmetry I will provide you with details in four sections. The Calhoun experiment lasted four years and it was divided into four phases. Actually, they didn’t have to do a thing. They were safe, full, warm, and their houses were cleaned. No predators had access to the mouse utopia therefore, the animals didn’t have to fight for their lives.īasically, the animals were living in paradise.
UNIVERSE 74 RAT UTOPIA FREE
The sterility was also maintained, so the mice were free from any serious diseases. Every four to eight weeks the whole area was cleaned out, removing the leftovers, excrement, and other municipal waste. The inhabitants of the utopian universe enjoyed delicate and pleasant wind generated by a fan. The temperature was maintained at 20-30☌ and it would change depending on the month. Other aspects of their lives were also taken care of.
The resources were calculated in such way that the mice could live without “worrying” about anything until reaching the number of 3840 rodents. They had the already mentioned unlimited access to food, water, and materials needed to build nests. The four pairs of mice were living in an enclosed square area of 2.57m x 2.57m. What exactly did the experiment look like? Everything was available at their paw tips.Īlthough the beginning of the experiment seems ordinary, the course of the study, as well as the results, are quite astonishing. The mice were provided with food, water, and nesting material. The utopian universe provided rodents with unlimited access to everything necessary for the animals to survive. One of most shocking experiments performed by the behavioral researcher is known as the Mouse Utopia Experiment.ĭuring the experiment, a group of eight mice were living in ideal environmental conditions. The most important experiments were conducted in the 1950s and 1960s. Calhoun was an extremely famous ethologist who studied mainly behavior of mice and rats at the National Institutes of Health (USA). Although Calhoun’s discoveries are thought to be some of the most important in the history of psychology, (Hock, 2004 as cited in: Ramsden, Adams 2009) the scientist’s work is not as widely known as experiments performed by Zimbardo or Milgram.ĭr. One may have doubts about the conclusions of the experiment however, we will discuss those a bit later.įirst, let’s talk about the experiment itself. In contrast to fake, poorly-photoshopped Albert Einstein’s quotes, Calhoun’s experiment has actually been carried out. John Calhoun’s behavior experiments.Īmong other things, the conclusions drawn up from Calhoun’s experiment are used to criticize abundant societies, to seek ways of organizing cities, and to explain the origins of feminist movements or the disappearance of masculinity. Such a headline is usually tied to articles describing }r. “Shocking experiment reveals the condition of our society!”
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