Abstract
Boredom is an unpleasant experience arising from a lack of stimulation. Recent investigations suggest that captive carnivores show measurable signs of boredom, including seeking stimulation even if it is aversive, and this is alleviated by providing environmental complexity. Human boredom is associated with altered neurological activity, including increased synchronicity in electroencephalographs. In this project we will manipulate the experience of ferrets by alternating their housing between normal and environmentally enriched conditions. We will determine how extra enrichment influences behavioural markers of boredom and record neural activity in sensory cortex to understand how behavioural state influences brain state.
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