ISSN:
1469-8986
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
,
Psychology
Notes:
The primary purpose of the experiments was to determine whether stress is a necessary precondition for ionized air to affect behavior. A secondary objective was to investigate the relationship between ion polarity and subject age. Thirty-six male albino rats of the Wistar strain were used as subjects, divided into 2 groups according to age; one group was 3 months, and the other 14 months, old. Animals were exposed in environmental chambers in which the ion concentrations were 2.9 × 105 positive ions/cc, 1.4 × 105 negative ions/cc, or 600 positive and negative ions cc (control). Criteria for evaluating behavioral effects were rate of learning of a water maze and performance in the maze after learning was complete. Half of the subjects were subjected to a 60-v, 0.7–sec electrical shock prior to maze trials. Results indicate that stress is not a necessary precondition for air ions to affect behavior. Learning of the maze was enhanced by both ion polarities, particularly by negatively ionized air. Performance of the older animals living in a negatively ionized atmosphere was significantly improved.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1965.tb03267.x
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