Over the past decade there has been a surge in interest in animal personality.
Research has flourished in numerous disciplines ranging from Behavioral Ecology
and Developmental Psychobiology, to Genetics, and Comparative Psychology. The
broad appeal of animal studies is that, in comparison with human studies, they
afford greater experimental control, more options for measuring physiological
and genetic parameters, greater opportunities for naturalistic observation, and
an accelerated life course. By increasing the phylogenetic reach of personality,
animal studies are opening numerous new research opportunities. The aim of this
symposium was to illustrate three different kinds of contribution to be made by
research on animal personality:
1. Shedding fresh light on traditional questions in personality research.
Dr. Malloy’s presentation showed how the control afforded by rodent studies
can be used to examine long-standing questions about cross-situational
consistency.
2. Addressing questions that are difficult to test in human studies alone.
Dr. Capitanio’s presentation used experimental studies in non-human primates
to illustrate how personality interacts with context to affect numerous
health-related outcomes.
3. Raising new questions.
Dr. Sih’s presentation was to demonstrate the benefits accruing from the
cross-disciplinary connections that have arisen in animal personality. As a
behavioral ecologist, Dr. Sih, asks fundamental questions about evolutionary
origins of personality traits and why personality exists at all.
Sadly, just before the conference, Dr. Sih fell sick and had to pull out. But we
were delighted when Dr. Alison Bell agreed to speak in Dr. Sih's place. Clearly
the gods were having none of it because Dr. Bell's valiant efforts to get to
ABQ were thwarted by snow storms and canceled planes.
Beforehand I wasn't sure how well the symposium would go down because in 2002 I
gave a talk on animal personality at the ARP meetings where it received a mixed
reaction; at that earlier meeting I sensed a good deal of skepticism about what
animal studies could offer to personality researchers. But things seemed to be
very different this time. The speakers provided some great examples from their
own research programs on what animal studies could do and they gave outstanding
presentations. When, at the end of the symposium, Walter Mischel stood up to
make a comment I have to admit I was slightly anxious about what he would say;
however, his comments were very positive; he was especially enthusiastic about
Malloy's approach for addressing basic questions about cross-situational
consistency. So despite being without one of our speakers, I think the
symposium went very well. In fact, John Capitanio, who has spoken to a wide
variety of groups, said this was the most enthusiastic reception he had ever
received for a presentation on his work on animal personality.
Here is Sam's (abrigded) introduction to the Symposium:
From Symposium Chair Sam Gosling: