Primary Assay — Rat
Social Interaction Test
Rattus norvegicus
Pairs of unfamiliar rats interact in a neutral arena. Unlike the structured three-chamber test, this measures spontaneous social behavior. Widely used for anxiety, autism, and social stress models.
Quantitative Output
Measured Parameters
Every parameter is automatically tracked frame-by-frame in the ConductVision pipeline for Rattus norvegicus.
| Parameter | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Total interaction time | s | Combined sniffing, following, grooming |
| Anogenital sniffing | s | Investigation of ano-genital region |
| Following | s | Trailing behind conspecific |
| Contact duration | s | Physical touching time |
| Social avoidance | ratio | Active avoidance vs approach events |
References
Citations for Social Interaction Test
- File SE, Hyde JR. (1978). Can social interaction be used to measure anxiety? Br J Pharmacol, 62(1), 19-24. PMID: 563752
- Kaidanovich-Beilin O, et al. (2011). Assessment of social interaction behaviors. J Vis Exp, (48), 2473. PMID: 21403628
Compatible Equipment
Hardware for Rat Research
Open Field Maze (rat size)
OFT locomotion and anxiety
Elevated Plus Maze (rat)
Anxiety screening
Morris Water Maze (150-180 cm)
Spatial learning
Radial Arm Maze (8-arm)
Reference and working memory
Operant Conditioning Chamber
Reinforcement learning, addiction
Social Interaction Arena
Social behavior
Y-Maze (rat)
Spontaneous alternation
Passive Avoidance Chamber
Aversive memory
PPI Startle Chamber
Sensorimotor gating
Related Assays
Other Rat Primary Assays
03
Open Field Test
Rattus norvegicus
Same principle as mouse OFT but with larger arena (typically 100×100 cm). Rats produce richer behavioral repertoires inc…
03
Elevated Plus Maze
Rattus norvegicus
Larger version for rats (50 cm arm length). Rats show more robust open arm avoidance than mice, making this the preferre…
03
Morris Water Maze
Rattus norvegicus
Originally developed for rats (Morris, 1984). Larger pool (150-180 cm diameter). Rats are stronger swimmers and show mor…
Run Social Interaction Test on ConductVision
Our team will configure the protocol, camera rig, and analysis pipeline for your rat facility.
