Personality and emotion in animals

1
Personality and emotion in animals

• Darwin suggested continuity of emotional
  expression across species (e.g. jealousy, rage,
  curiosity)
• Early researchers (e.g. Yerkes, Hebb) studied
  individual differences in temperament or emotion
• Later work (on e.g. primates, dogs, cats,
  octupus, goats) focuses on stable, underlying
  traits, and whether trait ratings relate to
  observable behaviour.

2
Main concerns in animal personality research

• Has adopted similar theroretical basis to human
  personality work
• Focus on small number of underlying dimensions
• Centrality of role of traits
• Nomothetic approach assumed
• Issues of reliability and validity
• Trait-behaviour correspondences assumed
• Distinction between implicit and explicit
  personality theories

3
Formal and lay approaches

• Explicit personality theories based on
  quantitative measurements and observations
• Implicit personality theories based upon
  subjective observations or impressions
• Yeroen is calculating by nature. In an almost
  nervous way he keeps a close watch on his
  intersts. No one else is considered when he is
  pursuing his goal. He is a real go-getterLuit
  is a much more sociable individual than Yeroen.
  He has an open and friendly character and sets
  great store by company. He practically always
  seems to be in a good mood and creates a
  reliable impression. de Waal
  (1998)

4
Objective and subjective accounts of animal mind
Objective Subjective Detached Involved Quant
itative Qualitative Reason Experience Mechano
morphic Anthropomorphic Professional Lay
5
Personality in pets

• Assumptions of personality important in the
  human-pet relationship
• Some research suggests personality attributions
  of pets are a function of personality of owners
  (OFarrell neurotic dogs and humans)
• Are attributions real reflections of personality
  traits in animals or do they reflect owner
  attributions (see Podberscek Gosling)

6
Possible questions

• What kinds of evidence do we have that animals
  show personality differences?
• Is it easier to think about personality
  differences in some species, compared to others?
• Is it possible to talk about an animals
  personality in a way that is not anthropomorphic?
• What aspects of the human-animal relationship may
  shape personality attributions?
• To what extent could a standard set of
  personality trait terms be applied across
  species?

7
References

• Podberscek, A. L. Gosling, S. D. (2000).
  Personality research on pets and their owners
  conceptual issues and review. In Podberscek, A.
  L., Paul, E. S. Serpell, J. A. (eds) Companion
  Animals and Us. Cambridge Cambridge University
  Press.
• Gosling, S. D. John, O. P. (1999).
  Personality dimensions in nonhuman animals a
  cross-species review. Current Directions in
  Psychological Science, 8, 69-75.
• Gosling, S. D. (2001). From mice to men What
  can we learn about personality from animal
  research? Psychological Bulletin, 127, 1, 45-86.
• Kidd, A. H. Kidd, R. M. (1980). Personality
  characteristics and preferences in pet ownership.
  Psychological Reports, 46, 939-949.
• Perrine, R. M. Osbourne, H. L. (1998).
  Personality characteristics of dog and cat
  persons. Anthrozoos, 11, 33-40.
• De Waal, F. B. M. (1998) Revised ed. Chimpanzee
  Politics Power and Sex among Apes. Baltimore
  Johns Hopkins University Press.

8
References

• Crist, E. (1997). From questions to stimuli, from
  answers to reactions the case of Clever Hans.
  Semiotica, 113-1/2, 1-42
• Povinelli, D.J., Bering, J. and Giambrone, S.
  (2000). Toward a science of other minds escaping
  the argument by analogy. Cognitive Science, 24
  (3), 509-541
• Soproni, K., Miklosi, A., Topal, J. and Csanyi,
  V. (2001). Comprehension of human communicative
  signs in pet dogs (Canis familiaris). Journal of
  Comparative Psychology, 115 (2), 122-126
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