scholarly journals Habituation is not neutral or equal: Individual differences in tolerance suggest an overlooked personality trait

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (28) ◽  
pp. eaaz0870
Author(s):  
Andrew T. L. Allan ◽  
Annie L. Bailey ◽  
Russell A. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Behavioral Ecology ◽  
Personality Trait ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Neutral Stimulus ◽  
Related Phenomenon ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Observer Effects ◽  
Group Members

In behavioral studies, observer effects can be substantial, even for habituated animals, but few studies account for potential observer-related phenomenon empirically. We used wild, habituated chacma baboons to explore two key assumptions of behavioral ecology (i) that observers become a “neutral” stimulus and (ii) that habituation is “equal” across group members. Using flight initiation distance (FID) methods within a personality paradigm, the behavioral responses of baboons suggested that observers were not perceived as neutral but instead viewed as a high-ranking social threat. Habituation was also not equal across group members, with repeatable individual differences more important than contextual factors (e.g., habitat) in determining the distance at which baboons visually oriented or displaced from observers. A strong correlation between individual visual tolerance and displacement tolerance (i.e., convergent validity) indicated a personality trait. We offer several suggestions for how to account for these factors and minimize potential bias in future studies.

Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS): Translation and Validation in Urdu Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-189
Author(s):  
Afifa Anjum ◽  
Naumana Amjad
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Structure Factors ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
Translation And Validation

Values in Action is a classification of 24 character strengths grouped under six virtue categories. This classification is claimed to be universal across cultures and religions (Peterson & Seligman, 2004) and its measure that is, Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) has been translated and validated in many languages. The present study aimed at its Urdu translation and validation on Pakistani adults taken from different educational institutes and workplaces. Study comprised two parts. Part I dealt with the translation and cross-language validation while in Part II, Construct validation on a sample of 542 adults and convergent validity on a sample of 210 adult participants were determined. Findings revealed satisfactory alpha coefficients for Urdu version. Significant positive correlations with positive affect and life satisfaction and negative correlations with negative affect were indicators of its convergent validity. Age was negatively associated with five strengths whereas significant gender differences were found on seven strengths. Social desirability effects were nonsignificant. Strength-to-virtue level factor structure exploration resulted in a theoretically meaningful four factor structure. Factors were named as Interpersonal, Cognitive, Vitality, and Transcendence and were comparable to factor structures proposed in studies on VIA-IS from a few other cultures. The study offers a valid Urdu translation for use in future studies with adult Urdu speaking population.

scholarly journals Declassifying Myrmecophily in the Coleoptera to Promote the Study of Ant-Beetle Symbioses

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glené Mynhardt
Keyword(s):  
Classification Scheme ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Behavioral Data ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Classification Schemes ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Symbiotic Associations ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Morphological Adaptations ◽  
Evolutionary Studies

The symbiotic associations between beetles and ants have been observed in at least 35 beetle families. Among myrmecophiles, beetles exhibit the most diverse behavioral and morphological adaptations to a life with ants. These various associations have historically been grouped into discrete but overlapping behavioral categories, many of which are still used in the modern literature. While these behavioral classifications provide a rich foundation for the study of ant-beetle symbioses, the application of these systems in future studies may be less than effective. Since morphological characteristics often provide the only information of myrmecophilous beetles, they should be studied in a species-by-species fashion, as behavioral data are often limited or unavailable. Similarly, behavioral studies should focus on the target species at hand, avoiding discrete classification schemes. I formally propose the rejection of any classification scheme, in order to promote future studies of myrmecophily in both taxonomic and evolutionary studies.

Individual differences in response to sibling birth among free-ranging yearling rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) on Cayo Santiago

Behaviour ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 140 (7) ◽  
pp. 899-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Macaca Mulatta ◽  
Rhesus Monkeys ◽  
Dynamic Assessment ◽  
Conflict Theory ◽  
Maternal Aggression ◽  
Cayo Santiago ◽  
Focal Animal ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Free Ranging

AbstractThe birth of a younger sibling is a normal event in the life of a nonhuman primate, yet commonly it is thought to be a stressful transition for the older sibling. In our previous research, we found that yearling rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) experienced increases in one mild form of distress but no significant increases in overt forms of distress, in spite of significant reductions in mother-yearling interaction. Nevertheless, some individual yearlings were distressed by this transition and here we examine variables that may structure individual differences in distress. We observed 31 yearling rhesus monkeys on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, during the month before and month after their siblings' births using focal animal sampling methods. Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969), parent-offspring conflict theory (Trivers, 1974), and dynamic assessment models (Bateson, 1994) all predict a relationship between reduction in maternal care and increase in offspring distress, yet no previous study of sibling birth in primates has examined this relationship. We found that the reduction in the proportion of time on the nipple from the month before sibling birth to the month after was related to the rate of geckering (a distress vocalization) after sibling birth, and that the increase in time out of sight of the mother was related to the proportion of time yearlings spent in a tense state after sibling birth. Maternal aggression after sibling birth also was related to the yearlings' rate of geckering. Yearling distress was related to qualities of the mother-yearling relationship, in that yearlings that had relatively greater responsibility for maintaining proximity with their mothers before sibling birth were relatively more tense afterwards. Yearlings displayed increases in play, grooming, and contact with group members other than the mother after sibling birth, suggesting a marked shift toward greater maturity in their social relationships.

scholarly journals Pathogen Threat and In-group Cooperation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirotaka Imada ◽  
Nobuhiro Mifune
Keyword(s):  
Selection Pressure ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Cooperative Behavior ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Behavioral Immune System ◽  
Group Cooperation ◽  
Group Members ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Intergroup Behavior

Disease-causing parasites and pathogens play a pivotal role in intergroup behavior. Previous studies have suggested that the selection pressure posed by pathogen threat has resulted in in-group assortative sociality, including xenophobia and in-group favoritism. While the current literature has collated numerous studies on the former, strikingly, there has not been much research on the relationship between pathogen threat and in-group cooperation. Drawing upon prior studies on the function of the behavioral immune system (BIS), we argued that the BIS might facilitate cooperation with in-group members as a reactive behavioral immune response to pathogen threat. More specifically, we held that individuals might utilize cooperative behavior to ensure that they can receive social support when they have contracted an infectious disease. We reviewed existing findings pertaining to the potential role of the BIS in in-group cooperation and discussed directions for future studies.

Who Blogs in 2010?

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley M. Okdie ◽  
Rosanna E. Guadagno ◽  
Daniel M. Rempala ◽  
Cassie A. Eno
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Individual Difference ◽  
Personality Trait ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Interaction ◽  
True Self ◽  
Personality Differences ◽  
Multiple Personality ◽  
Technological Advances

Research suggests gender and personality differences are predictive of general Internet use. Specifically, people high in openness and women high in neuroticism are more likely to keep a blog. Given the rapidity of change owing to technological advances, the authors sought to re-examine the validity of these findings in an era where other forms of online interaction are prevalent. Specifically, the authors sought to replicate and expand on these findings and to examine other individual difference factors that may predict who is likely to maintain a blog. Participants filled out multiple personality measures, demographic characteristics, and reported on their blogging behavior (e.g., writing blog entries and reading blogs). Results replicated the prior research, indicating that openness predicted blogging to a greater degree than any other personality trait. Moreover, results also revealed that individuals high in self-consciousness and those who saw more of their “true self” on the Internet were more likely to blog. These findings suggest that in addition to openness, individual differences, such as self-focus and personality, predict who is likely to blog.

Extensive individual differences of category information in ventral temporal cortex in the congenitally blind

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rosenke ◽  
J. Van den Hurk ◽  
E. Margalit ◽  
H. P. Op de Beeck ◽  
K. Grill-Spector ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Homogeneous Population ◽  
Congenitally Blind ◽  
Functional Representations ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Ventral Temporal Cortex

AbstractHuman ventral temporal cortex (VTC) is a cortical expanse that performs different functions and computations, but is especially critical for visual categorization. Nevertheless, accumulating evidence shows that category-selective regions persist in VTC in the absence of visual experience – for example, in congenitally blind (CB) participants. Despite this evidence, a large body of previous work comparing functional representations in VTC between sighted and CB participants performed univariate analyses at the group level, which assume a homogeneous population – an assumption that has not been formally tested until the present study. Specifically, using fMRI in CB and sighted participants (male and female), we empirically show that at the group level, distributed category representations in VTC are more reliable in the sighted (when viewing visual stimuli) compared to the CB (when hearing auditorily-substituted visual stimuli). Despite these group differences, there is extensive heterogeneity in VTC category representations in the CB to the point that VTC category representations in a subset of CB participants (some who were born without eyes, but not all) are more similar to sighted individuals compared to other CB participants. Together, our findings support a novel idea that driving factors contributing to the formation of VTC category representations in the blind are subject-specific, which complements factors that may generalize across group members. More broadly, the present findings caution conclusions of homogeneity across subjects within a group when performing group neuroimaging analyses without explicitly quantifying individual differences.

Culture and Aggression—From Context to Coercion

2004 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Harris Bond
Keyword(s):  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Mutual Influence ◽  
Social Resources ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Cultural Systems ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Societal Level

This article is an attempt to study the neglected linkages between culture and aggression. It does so by conceptualizing culture as a set of affordances and constraints that channel the expression of coercive means of social control by self and others. All cultural systems represent solutions to the problems associated with distributing desired material and social resources among its group members while maintaining social order and harmony. Norms are developed surrounding the exercise of mutual influence in the process of resource allocation, favoring some and marginalizing others. Violations of these norms by resource competitors are conceptualized as “aggressive” behaviors and stimulate a process of justified counterattack, escalating the violence. The current data from both societal-level and individual-level studies are examined and integrated in light of this organizing framework, and future studies are proposed to explore the interface between culture and aggression more productively.

scholarly journals Individual differences affect honest signalling in a songbird

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1775) ◽  
pp. 20132496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Çağlar Akçay ◽  
S. Elizabeth Campbell ◽  
Michael D. Beecher
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Personality Trait ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Melospiza Melodia ◽  
Honest Signalling ◽  
Signalling System ◽  
The Past ◽  
Song Sparrows ◽  
Residual Variation ◽  
Aggressive Behaviours

Research in the past decade has established the existence of consistent individual differences or ‘personality’ in animals and their important role in many aspects of animal behaviour. At the same time, research on honest signalling of aggression has revealed that while some of the putative aggression signals are reliable, they are only imperfectly so. This study asks whether a significant portion of the variance in the aggression-signal regression may be explained by individual differences in signalling strategies. Using the well-studied aggressive signalling system of song sparrows ( Melospiza melodia ), we carried out repeated assays to measure both aggressive behaviours and aggressive signalling of territorial males. Through these assays, we found that aggressive behaviours and aggressive signalling were both highly repeatable, and moreover that aggressive behaviours in 2009–2010 predicted whether the birds would attack a taxidermic mount over a year later. Most significantly, we found that residual variation in signalling behaviours, after controlling for aggressive behaviour, was individually consistent, suggesting there may be a second personality trait determining the level of aggressive signalling. We term this potential personality trait ‘communicativeness’ and discuss these results in the context of honest signalling theories and recent findings reporting prevalence of ‘under-signalling’.

RISK-TAKING AS A PERSONALITY TRAIT

1973 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric S. Knowles ◽  
Henry S. G. Cutter ◽  
David H. Walsh ◽  
Nancy A. Casey
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Risk Behavior ◽  
Personality Trait ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Student Nurses ◽  
Validity Study ◽  
Approach Avoidance ◽  
Risk Taking Behavior ◽  
General Convergence

Consistencies in risk-taking behavior were investigated in a multi-method, convergent validity study of 13 risk-related measures. Fifty-six student nurses served as subjects. As with earlier studies, a general convergence was not found. However, factor analysis of the correlations indicated two qualitatively different kinds of dimensions. In addition to five strategy traits, a single motivational trait was identified. The motivational trait was interpreted as identifying a person's general willingness to approach or avoid risk situations. Data, independent of the factor analysis, supported the approach-avoidance construct. The results suggest (a) a redefinition of risk-taking as a personality trait; and (b) that consistencies in risk behavior do occur across a variety of situations.

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