Table 7.

Example of explicit, operationally defined scales and scoring criteria for assessing maternal behaviors.

Amount of litter scatter	Location of dam relative to litter
1. Litter was not scattered; all pups were in the nest	1. Dam was on the pups
2. Litter was scattered; 1–3 pups were outside the nest	2. Dam was away from the nest but actively tending to litter (e.g., retrieving pups or building the nest)
3. Litter was scattered; 4 + pups were outside the nest	3. Dam was away from the nest but actively eating, drinking, or grooming
	4. Dam was away from the nest but not actively eating, drinking, or grooming, and not tending to the litter (i.e., sleeping, resting on food jar)