biostudies-literatureRein BNIMH NIH HHSU.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Mental Health3464-3477https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8103520biostudies-literatureUnknown15(10)Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and other behavioral abnormalities. The three-chamber social preference test is often used to assess social deficits in mouse models of ASD. However, varying and often contradicting phenotypic descriptions of ASD mouse models can be found in the scientific literature, and the substantial variability in the methods used by researchers to assess social deficits in mice could be a contributing factor. Here we describe a standardized three-chamber social preference protocol, which is sensitive and reliable at detecting social preference deficits in several mouse models of ASD. This protocol comprises three phases that can all be completed within 1 d. The test mouse is first habituatedNature protocolsA standardized social preference protocol for measuring social deficits in mouse models of autism.PMC8103520R01 MH108842R41 MH112237MH112237Yan ZRein BMa KfalseA standardized social preference protocol for measuring social deficits in mouse models of autism.Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and other behavioral abnormalities. The three-chamber social preference test is often used to assess social deficits in mouse models of ASD. However, varying and often contradicting phenotypic descriptions of ASD mouse models can be found in the scientific literature, and the substantial variability in the methods used by researchers to assess social deficits in mice could be a contributing factor. Here we describe a standardized three-chamber social preference protocol, which is sensitive and reliable at detecting social preference deficits in several mouse models of ASD. This protocol comprises three phases that can all be completed within 1 d. The test mouse is first habituated2020-01-01T00:00:00Z2020 Oct2025-04-18T21:43:25.621Z2025-04-07T09:33:59.766ZS-EPMC81035203289552410.1038/s41596-020-0382-9