Protocol to study dam-pup social transmission using a modified paradigm for transmission of food preference

Abstract

Summary: The social transmission of food preference, a rudimentary form of social learning, has primarily been studied in pairs of adult rodents. Here, we present a protocol to explore the parent-offspring context in social learning using an adaptation of this classic paradigm for rodent dam-pup dyads. We describe steps for studying weanling mice from the same mother and present a worked example using weight-based (food consumption) and time-based (exploration) indices of social learning. : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Keywords

• Developmental biology
• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Behavior