Animal Behaviour

Personality is the way individuals differ from each other
   - the variation needs to be tempirally consistent
   - the behaviours need to generalise across contexts
   - the behaviours need to be heritable and have fitness consequences

The variability gives selective advantages

Behaviour is only really personality if between-individual variation>within-individual variation

Genes and environment impact personality
Thought to be a relationship between personality and health

Biologists

• Observations
• Experimentation
• Assessment by knowledgeable informants

Psychologists

• Self-ratings (questionnaires)
• Assessment by knowledgeable informants
• Overall score and scales
• Comparisons

Limitations = risk of anthropomorphism e.g. curious, sympathetic

Validity

Use both ratings and observed behaviour

• Knowledge of species behaviour
• Confounding factors
• Independent observers
• Ecological validity

Reliability

• Correspondence between raters and observers
• Clear definition of behaviour association
• Standard procedures in observational - intra- or inter- observer reliability

Training animals
   - Reduce stress during procedures
   - Assess personality to determine suitability

Wellbeing of animals
   - Show deficiencies in ocial ability and general adaptability

Releasing into the wild
   - Survival
   - Invasiveness