Human beings, and many other species exhibit a rich panoply of social behaviors. Social interactions common to a huge variety of different species include mating behaviors, co-operating to solve problems, disputes and aggression, and communication of important information. Being able to properly execute such behaviors is extremely advantageous, and can even be vital to an animal’s health and survival.

For human beings, it is almost impossible to live a normal life without being able to engage in many complex social behaviors. The negative impact on social skills caused by serious psychological disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and autism is part of what makes these disorders so important to study.

Animal models, including mice, are often used to investigate disorders of social skill. In this article, we will discuss how mice can serve as a model for human social interaction, and outline a number of different methods used to construct experiments with mouse models that can provide information on how to treat human psychological disorders.