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Excellence Strategy "Science of Intelligence": Understanding learning of mice in social interaction
Funded by: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Funding period: 2020 - 2023
Project website: https://www.scienceofintelligence.de/ https://www.scienceofintelligence.de/research/researchprojects/project_25/
Objective: Mice are highly social animals that explore their environment together and exchange information with each other. How exactly this happens and how intelligent behavior patterns emerge from it is still not fully understood. This project aims to develop a deeper understanding of social learning in mice. The results will also be used to draw conclusions about intelligent behavior in other animal species, including humans.
3R Relevance: In many animal studies, even social animals are still kept individually. A better understanding of social behavior and the impact on cognitive processes contributes to the recognition of social contacts and space for social interactions as an indispensable basis of animal welfare (Refinement). As one part of the research, we e. g. are developing learning tests in which the animals remain in their social group, each animal being able to perform the test at a time of its own choosing.
