include large enough samples to be able to compare males and females within the same study. Given the difficulties of conducting research with children who experience social deprivation, recruiting large enough samples is not always possible.
There is also limited research examining what type of social experiences may compensate for maternal or paternal deprivation experienced during different developmental periods. In rodent work, communal rearing with multiple caregivers raising their offspring together have been linked with positive developmental outcomes. Based on this evidence, it would be important to examine which types of communal rearing may promote children’s development. Likewise, it would be important to examine the support of other relatives in child developmental outcomes, as well as whether and how these support mechanisms help children recover from early social deprivation experiences in a more efficient way.
To conclude, research with nonhuman primates and rodents have produced a rich body of work on the impact of social deprivation and social isolation on development. By allowing for greater ability to manipulate the environment, animal research have been useful for identifying the exact mechanisms by which caregivers or social partners may regulate distinct biological and behavioral systems, and explaining how the type of social deprivation (mother, father, peer or community), its timing and duration impacts offspring’s development. In terms of future directions, it will be important to continue to cultivate dialogue between human and nonhuman animal researchers and examine questions related to the impact of early social experiences to determine whether certain findings are generalizable across different species.
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