An assessment of social olfactory stimuli as reinforcers in female rats

Abstract

Deficits in social behavior are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A tool which may help us isolate and understand how genes, prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal factors influence social behavior is the rodent model. The current study investigated if six female Long-Evans rats would work to obtain olfactory stimuli and their preference for social and nonsocial olfactory stimuli. In Experiment 1, rats were given a choice between a social or nonsocial scent and a control scent. In Experiment 2, the rats were given a choice between social scents and nonsocial scents within the same session. The results of Experiment 1 showed that rats preferred social and nonsocial scents over control scents. Experiment 2 results suggested that rats preferred social and nonsocial stimuli similarly. By studying the value of social stimuli in rats we eventually hope to understand the processes that establish and influence the value of social stimuli in humans.