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Author |
Lansade, L.; Simon, F. |
Title |
Horses' learning performances are under the influence of several temperamental dimensions |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2010 |
Publication |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. |
Volume |
125 |
Issue |
1-2 |
Pages |
30-37 |
Keywords |
Avoidance task; Equus caballus; Fearfulness; Learning; Personality; Temperament |
Abstract |
Learning performances are influenced by many factors, not only breed, age and sex, but also temperament. The purpose of this study was to understand how different temperamental dimensions affect the learning performance of horses, Equus caballus. First, we carried out a series of behavioural tests on 36 Welsh ponies aged 5-7 years to measure five temperamental dimensions: fearfulness (novel area test and surprise test), gregariousness (social isolation test), reactivity to humans (passive human test), tactile sensitivity (von Frey filament test) and activity level (evaluation of locomotor activity during all the tests). We then presented them with two learning tasks (avoidance and backwards-forwards tasks). In the avoidance task they had to learn to jump over a fence when they heard a sound associated with an aversive stimulus (puff of air). In the backwards-forwards task they had to walk forwards or move backwards in response to a tactile or vocal command to obtain a food reward. There was no correlation between performances on the two learning tasks, indicating that learning ability is task-dependent. However, correlations were found between temperamental data and learning performance (Spearman correlations). The ponies that performed the avoidance task best were the most fearful and the most active ones. For instance, the number of trials required to perform 5 consecutive correct responses (learning criterion) was correlated with the variables aimed at measuring fearfulness (way of crossing a novel area: rs = -0.41, P = 0.01 and time to start eating again after a surprise effect: rs = -0.33, P = 0.05) and activity level (frequency of trotting during all the tests: rs = -0.40, P = 0.02). The animals that performed the backwards-forwards task best were the ones that were the least fearful and the most sensitive. For instance, the learning criterion (corresponding to the number of trials taken to achieve five consecutive correct responses) was correlated with the variables aimed at measuring fearfulness (latency to put one foot on the area: rs = 0.43, P = 0.01; way of crossing a novel area: rs = 0.31, P = 0.06; and time to start eating again after a surprise effect: rs = 0.43, P = 0.009) and tactile sensitivity (response to von Frey filaments: rs = -0.44, P = 0.008). This study revealed significant links between temperament and learning abilities that are highly task-dependent. |
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0168-1591 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5077 |
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Author |
Kurvers, R.H.J.M.; Eijkelenkamp, B.; van Oers, K.; van Lith, B.; van Wieren, S.E.; Ydenberg, R.C.; Prins, H.H.T. |
Title |
Personality differences explain leadership in barnacle geese |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2009 |
Publication |
Animal Behaviour. |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Behav. |
Volume |
78 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
447-453 |
Keywords |
barnacle goose; boldness; Branta leucopsis; group behaviour; leadership; personality |
Abstract |
Personality in animal behaviour describes the observation that behavioural differences between individuals are consistent over time and context. Studies of group-living animals show that movement order among individuals is also consistent over time and context, suggesting that some individuals lead and others follow. However, the relationship between leadership and personality traits is poorly studied. We measured several personality traits and leadership of individual barnacle geese, Branta leucopsis. We measured body size and scored the dominance of individuals living in a stable group situation before subjecting them to an open-field test, an activity test, a novel-object test, and a leadership test in which the order of the movement of individuals in pairs towards a feeding patch was scored. We found high repeatability for activity and novel-object scores over time. Leadership was strongly correlated with novel-object score but not with dominance rank, activity or exploration in an open field. These results provide evidence that leadership is closely related to some aspects of personality. Interestingly, an individual's arrival at the food patch was affected not only by the novel-object score of the focal individual, but also by the novel-object score of the companion individual, indicating that movement patterns of individuals living in groups are affected by the personality traits of other group members and suggesting that movement patterns of a group may be shaped by the mix of personality types present in the group. |
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0003-3472 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5172 |
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Uher, J.; Asendorpf, J.B.; Call, J. |
Title |
Personality in the behaviour of great apes: temporal stability, cross-situational consistency and coherence in response |
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Journal Article |
Year |
2008 |
Publication |
Animal Behaviour. |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Behav. |
Volume |
75 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
99-112 |
Keywords |
behaviour prediction; bonobo; bottom-up approach; chimpanzee; gorilla; individual differences; orang-utan; personality; traits |
Abstract |
Using a multidisciplinary approach, the present study complements ethological behaviour measurements with basic theoretical concepts, methods and approaches of the personality psychological trait paradigm. Its adoptability and usefulness for animal studies are tested exemplarily on a sample of 20 zoo-housed great apes (five of each of the following species): bonobos, Pan paniscus; chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus; gorillas, Gorilla gorilla gorilla; and orang-utans, Pongo pygmaeus abelii. Data on 76 single trait-relevant behaviours were recorded in a series of 14 laboratory-based situations and in two different group situations. Data collection was repeated completely after a break of 2 weeks within a 60-day period. All behaviour records were sufficiently reliable. Individual- and variable-oriented analyses showed high/substantial temporal stability on different levels of aggregation. Distinctive and stable individual situational and response profiles clarified the importance of situations and of multiple trait-relevant behaviours. The present study calls for a closer collaboration between behavioural biologists and personality psychologists to tap the full potential of animal personality research. |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4278 |
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Riebli, T.; Avgan, B.; Bottini, A.-M.; Duc, C.; Taborsky, M.; Heg, D. |
Title |
Behavioural type affects dominance and growth in staged encounters of cooperatively breeding cichlids |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2011 |
Publication |
Animal Behaviour. |
Abbreviated Journal |
Anim. Behav. |
Volume |
81 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
313-323 |
Keywords |
behavioural syndrome; body condition; Neolamprologus pulcher; personality; reserves; strategic growth; submission |
Abstract |
In animals, behavioural properties such as aggressive propensity are often consistent over a life span, and they may form part of a behavioural syndrome. We studied how aggressive propensity influences dominance, contest behaviour and growth in the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher. We tested whether intrinsic aggressive propensity (1) influences dominance in paired contests, (2) causes different aggression levels in contests with partners matched for aggressive propensity compared to unmatched partners, and how it (3) affects growth rate in groups that were either matched or unmatched for aggressive propensity. Intrinsic aggressive propensity was first scored with a mirror test and classified as high, medium or low. Thereafter we tested fish with either high or low aggressive propensity with partners matched for size and either matched or unmatched for aggressive type in a paired contest for a shelter. We scored dominance, aggression and submission. As predicted, (1) dominance was more clearly established in unmatched than in matched contests and (2) individuals with high aggressive propensity launched more attacks overall than fish with low intrinsic aggressiveness, suggesting a higher propensity to escalate independently of winning or losing the paired contest. However, contrary to expectation, (3) individuals with low aggressiveness grew faster than aggressive ones in unmatched groups, whereas the opposite occurred in matched groups. This suggests that individuals with low aggressive propensity may benefit from conflict evasion, which might allow them to gain dominance in the future owing to larger body size. |
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0003-3472 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5319 |
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Author |
Reddon, A.R.; Hurd, P.L. |
Title |
Acting unilaterally: Why do animals with strongly lateralized brains behave differently than those with weakly lateralized brains? |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2009 |
Publication |
Bioscience Hypotheses |
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2 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
383-387 |
Keywords |
Cerebral lateralization; Individual variation; Personality; Habenula; Dorsal-diencephalic conduction system |
Abstract |
Cerebral lateralization was once thought to be unique to humans, but is now known to be widespread among the vertebrates. Lateralization appears to confer cognitive advantages upon those that possess it. Despite the taxonomic ubiquity and described advantages of lateralization, substantial individual variation exists in all species. Individual variation in cerebral lateralization may be tied to individual variation in behaviour and the selective forces that act to maintain variation in behaviour may also act to maintain variation in lateralization. The mechanisms linking individual variation in the strength of cerebral lateralization to individual variation in behaviour remain obscure. We propose here a general hypothesis which may help to explain this link. We suggest that individuals with strong and weak lateralizations behave differently because of differences in the ability of one hemisphere to inhibit the functions of the other in each type of brain organization. We also suggest a specific mechanism involving the asymmetric epithalamic nucleus, the habenula. We conclude by discussing some predictions and potential tests of our hypothesis. |
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1756-2392 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5417 |
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Author |
Stöwe, M. & Kotrschal, K. |
Title |
Behavioural phenotypes may determine whether social context facilitates or delays novel object exploration in ravens. |
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Journal Article |
Year |
2007 |
Publication |
International Journal of Ornithology |
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148 |
Issue |
Suppl 2 |
Pages |
179-184 |
Keywords |
Corvus corax – Novel object exploration – Personality – Social facilitation |
Abstract |
Individuals consistently differ in behavioural phenotypes. Here we examine the interaction between behavioural phenotype and response to social context during novel object exploration in a neophobic corvid species, the raven (Corvus corax). The presence of conspecifics tends to encourage object exploration and learning but may also delay or even inhibit exploratory behaviour. Factors such as individual differences in response to social context may determine whether the presence of a conspecific facilitates or inhibits approach to novel objects. We confronted eleven six-month-old hand-raised ravens with novel objects, both individually and in dyadic combinations. We defined individuals as “fast” and “slow” explorers on the basis of their approach latency to novel objects when tested individually. The presence of a conspecific delayed the approach of fast birds to novel objects. Slow birds, in contrast, approached the novel objects with lower latencies and spent more time close to them when in dyads with fast siblings than when alone. The individuals" approach behaviour seemed to determine whether social context facilitated or delayed exploratory behaviour. This may contribute to explaining ambiguous results concerning the effects of social context in previous studies. |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4507 |
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Author |
h:, M.; Lévy, F.; Fortin, M.; Leterrier, C.; LansadLansade, L. |
Title |
Stress and temperament affect working memory performance for disappearing food in horses, Equus caballus |
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Journal Article |
Year |
2013 |
Publication |
Animal Behaviour |
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86 |
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6 |
Pages |
1233-1240 |
Keywords |
delayed-response task emotion; equid; Equus caballus; fearfulness; individual difference; personality; stress; temperament |
Abstract |
In the present study, we sought to determine the influence of stress and temperament on working memory for disappearing food in horses. After assessment of five dimensions of temperament, we tested working memory of horses using a delayed-response task requiring a choice between two food locations. Delays ranging from 0 to 20 s were tested. The duration of working memory for disappearing food was first characterized without stressors (N = 26). The horses were then divided into two groups and their performance was assessed under stressful (exposure to acute stressors prior to testing, N = 12) or control conditions (N = 12). Results showed that the duration of working memory for disappearing food lasted at least 20 s under nonstressful conditions, and that under stressful conditions this duration lasted less than 12 s. This stress-induced impairment confirms in a nonrodent species that working memory performance is very sensitive to exposure to stressors. In addition, working memory performance in horses is influenced by the temperamental dimension of fearfulness according to the state of stress: fearful horses showed better performance under control conditions and worse performance under stressful conditions than nonfearful horses. These findings are discussed in the context of the Yerkes–Dodson law of stress and performance. |
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0003-3472 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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5746 |
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Kotrschal, K.; Schöberl, I.; Bauer, B.; Thibeaut, A.-M.; Wedl, M. |
Title |
Dyadic relationships and operational performance of male and female owners and their male dogs |
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Journal Article |
Year |
2009 |
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Behavioural Processes |
Abbreviated Journal |
Behav. Process. |
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81 |
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3 |
Pages |
383-391 |
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Dyadic interactions; Human-animal companions; Human-animal relationships; Human-dog dyads; Personality; Social stress |
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In the paper we investigate how owner personality, attitude and gender influence dog behavior, dyadic practical functionality and the level of dog salivary cortisol. In three meetings, 12 female and 10 male owners of male dogs answered questionnaires including the Neo-FFI human personality inventory. Their dyadic behavior was video-taped in a number of test situations, and saliva samples were collected. Owners who scored highly in neuroticism (Neo-FFI dimension one) viewed their dogs as social supporters and spent much time with them. Their dogs had low baseline cortisol levels, but such dyads were less successful in the operational task. Owners who scored highly in extroversion (Neo-FFI dimension two) appreciated shared activities with their dogs which had relatively high baseline cortisol values. Dogs that had female owners were less sociable-active (dog personality axis 1) than dogs that had male owners. Therefore, it appears that owner gender and personality influences dyadic interaction style, dog behavior and dyadic practical functionality. |
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0376-6357 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4947 |
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Seyfarth, R.M.; Cheney, D.L. |
Title |
Social cognition |
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Journal Article |
Year |
2015 |
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Animal Behaviour |
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103 |
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191-202 |
Keywords |
evolution; fitness; future research; personality; selective pressure; skill; social cognition |
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The social intelligence hypothesis argues that competition and cooperation among individuals have shaped the evolution of cognition in animals. What do we mean by social cognition? Here we suggest that the building blocks of social cognition are a suite of skills, ordered roughly according to the cognitive demands they place upon individuals. These skills allow an animal to recognize others by various means; to recognize and remember other animals' relationships; and, perhaps, to attribute mental states to them. Some skills are elementary and virtually ubiquitous in the animal kingdom; others are more limited in their taxonomic distribution. We treat these skills as the targets of selection, and assume that more complex levels of social cognition evolve only when simpler methods are inadequate. As a result, more complex levels of social cognition indicate greater selective pressures in the past. The presence of each skill can be tested directly through field observations and experiments. In addition, the same methods that have been used to compare social cognition across species can also be used to measure individual differences within species and to test the hypothesis that individual differences in social cognition are linked to differences in reproductive success. |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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6025 |
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Lloyd, A.S.; Martin, J.E.; Bornett-Gauci, H.L.I.; Wilkinson, R.G. |
Title |
Horse personality: Variation between breeds |
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Journal Article |
Year |
2008 |
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Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. |
Volume |
112 |
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3-4 |
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369-383 |
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Horse personality; Breed; Assessment; Questionnaire survey; Animal |
Abstract |
Anecdotal evidence from horse owners and handlers suggests the existence of breed typical behaviour and personality in horses. This is further supported by current research on heritability of personality characteristics in a range of species. The Horse Personality Questionnaire (HPQ) is a 25-item rating method that has previously been shown to be reliable for the assessment of personality in horses. Principal component analysis on HPQ data has identified six underlying personality components in horses. These are Dominance, Anxiousness, Excitability, Protection, Sociability and Inquisitiveness. Using the HPQ a survey of 1223 horses of eight different breeds was completed. Data were analysed to explore any differences in personality between breeds across the six personality components. Breed differences in personality were identified, and it was noted that variability between breeds varied between personality components. Anxiousness and Excitability showed the most variation between breeds, whilst Dominance and Protection showed the least variance. The results identified breed typical personalities that were comparable to results from previous studies as well as anecdotal evidence provided by the popular equine literature. The results are discussed in terms of the potential selection pressures that may have resulted in these differences. |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
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4279 |
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