Dopaminergic signaling from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is central to neural circuits governing motivation and reward. Dysregulation of this system is implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia (SZ), often marked by social deficits. In SZ, dopaminergic imbalance has been reported, with increased activity in the associative striatum and reduced tone in medial regions including the VTA. While dopamine release during social interactions in rodents underscores its role in social motivation, its contribution to higher-order social cognition remains unclear. This gap limits our understanding of how dopaminergic dysfunction contributes to socio-affective symptoms in psychiatric conditions. To investigate this, we used rodent models with targeted modifications of dopaminergic activity via manipulation of D2 autoreceptor expression. These models were assessed using a behavioral battery designed to capture multiple dimensions of social behavior. Our findings aim to clarify the role of dopamine signaling in complex social processes and provide insight into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social impairments in SZ and related disorders.