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Affective and behavioural interactions between human handlers and laboratory rats.
Chloe Crichton Feddo1, Emma S J Robinson1, Justyna K Hinchcliffe1
1University of Bristol, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.
Behavioural Brain Research
|February 21, 2026
Summary
Human handlers’ confidence and distress influence rat behavior and vocalizations. Rat distress correlated with handler distress and inversely with handler confidence, impacting animal welfare.
Area of Science:
- Animal Behavior
- Laboratory Animal Science
- Ethology
Background:
- Human-animal interactions are crucial in laboratory settings.
- The influence of handler characteristics on rat behavior is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between human handler characteristics (confidence, experience, arousal) and rat affective indicators.
- To analyze the impact of human behavior on rat ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and behavioral distress.
Main Methods:
- Correlational analysis of handler traits and rat behavioral distress scores.
- Measurement of rat ultrasonic vocalizations (50-kHz and 22-kHz USVs) during and after handling.
- Monitoring of handler and rat physiological arousal (heart rate).
Main Results:
- Rats exhibited higher 50-kHz USVs (positive affect) post-handling; no 22-kHz USVs (aversive) were detected.
- Rat behavioral distress positively correlated with handler distress and negatively with handler confidence.
- Handler experience correlated with confidence but not directly with rat behavior or handler heart rate.
Conclusions:
- Observable human behavior, particularly confidence and distress, significantly influences rat emotional states.
- Handler's emotional state and confidence are key factors affecting rat welfare in laboratory settings.
- Findings have implications for improving animal welfare and the reliability of scientific outcomes in rodent research.
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