animal personality

Question 1

personality referred to by diff ways depending on field of study

Answer 1

• behavioral syndrome: group of correlated behaviors across situations or contexts (Ecology)
• coping style: correlated behavioral, physiological and neuroendocrine responses to high-arousal stimuli or situations (neuroendocrine)
• temperament: individual reaction to a challenging situation (Animal science)
• personality: a consistent style of behavioral response to a range of stimuli or situations (Psychology)
• consistent indiv differences: sets of correlated behaviors that are consistent within an individual (or a population) across time & context

Question 2

consistent indiv differences

Answer 2

sets of correlated behaviors that are consistent within an individual (or a population) across time & context

• expect avgs but don’t get
• may account for deviations from ‘optimal behavior’
• not exclusive to higher vertebrates
• often have underlying physiological or neuroendocrine correlates (coping style)
• can be heritable: genetically linked = heritable
• must be tested over many times with many diff behaviors/tests
• can predict behaviors based on personality

Question 3

personality assessments

Answer 3

rating (surveys)

• intimate knowledge of indiv animal or species
• common for pets/zoo animals
• ex: rating humans: adjectives & definitions are given to human who rates based on:
  
  • low-med-high
  • scale (1-10)
  • ex: active = moves around >X amount of time
  • ex: aggressive = causes harm to others, etc

coding (observation)

• opportunistic
  
  • day-in-the-life
  • observations for unknown/wild species
• experimental ➔ controlled tests
  
  • ex: mirror test in familiar envir evaluates aggressivity & sociality
  • ex: new object test in familiar envir evaluates exploration & boldness, etc. ➞ bumble-ball

Question 4

applied animal behavior

Answer 4

• knowledge of indiv behaviors can help in production management
• influence immunity, production, welfare
• early coping behaviors predict future welfare
• ex: cognitive bias testing & personality traits in sows:
  
  • sows tested at various stages of life with many types of tests
    
    • aggressive/reactive
      
      • resistance (vocalize, thrash) to being handled (week 5)
      • reaction toward human handling litter (first farrow)
      • number of fights, bites initiated, chasing other, and displacement of other during introduction to group pen (parity 1)
      • non-aggressive also means non-reactive
    • social
      
      • duration near human and touch human (month 3)
      • number of nose-investigate other sows during introduction to group pen (parity 1)

Question 5

judgement bias in commercial sows

Answer 5

• cognitive bias index (CBI): ratio of approach speed to ambiguous stimulus compared to approach of positive and negative stimuli
• go-no go experiment in sows: aggressive sows have more positive bias
• experience a more positive affective state in a large group pen
• “risk-takers” & quickly approach ambiguous stimuli

Question 6

personality-dependent dispersal patterns

Answer 6

• fundamental to many personality traits (e.g. active, bold, exploratory)
• how well they foraging
• which habitat they choose
• how they use their home range
• social network structure
• how the population structure evolves

Question 7

behavioral ecology: foraging distribution

Answer 7

• personality type explores & goes far ➔ start a new family group ➔ new population in new habitat ➔ implications for conservation research
  
  • active, bold, exploratory = best traits for species distribution & conservation
  • try new foods from new places & discover whole new resource available ➔ opens up many new envir/ecosystems compatible for survival
• ex: bold fallow deer = more likely to eat new foods in familiar environments
  & eat familiar food in new environments
• ex: shy barnacle geese = more likely to be scroungers & bold = more likely to be producers
  
  • bold geese find all new feeding sites
  • bold indiv = more likely to die
  • shyness could be more fit personality for survival

Question 8

environmental impacts of livestock grazing

Answer 8

• uneven distribution of livestock can result in:
  
  • overgrazing of specific habitats
  • underutilization of extensive & rugged pastures
  • damage to vegetation or riparian fx
  • soil erosion/land degradation
  • threaten wildlife survivability
• study: influence of personality on beef cattle behavior on rangeland distribution for improved productivity and profitability

Question 9

personality implications & uses for humans

Answer 9

• foraging distribution & ecology
• labs: if showing side effects but animal doesn’t show pain/more stoic ➔ results aren’t accurate
• some personality types in zoo animals are better suited around people ➔ can be used for education & conservation
• finding personalities that match humans, service animals