Personality Research in Mammalian Farm Animals: Concepts, Measures, and Relationship to Welfare
Measuring and understanding personality in animals is a rising scientific field. Much research has been conducted to assess distinctive individual differences in behavior in a large number of species in the past few decades, and increasing numbers of studies include farm animals. Nevertheless, the t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2018.00131/full |
| _version_ | 1828838555372224512 |
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| author | Marie-Antonine Finkemeier Marie-Antonine Finkemeier Jan Langbein Birger Puppe Birger Puppe |
| author_facet | Marie-Antonine Finkemeier Marie-Antonine Finkemeier Jan Langbein Birger Puppe Birger Puppe |
| author_sort | Marie-Antonine Finkemeier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Measuring and understanding personality in animals is a rising scientific field. Much research has been conducted to assess distinctive individual differences in behavior in a large number of species in the past few decades, and increasing numbers of studies include farm animals. Nevertheless, the terminology and definitions used in this broad scientific field are often confusing because different concepts and methods are used to explain often synonymously applied terms, such as personality, temperament and coping style. In the present review we give a comprehensive overview of the concepts and terms currently used in animal personality research and critically reveal how they are defined and what they measure. First, we shortly introduce concepts describing human personality and how these concepts are used to explain animal personality. Second, we present which concepts, methods and measures are applied in farm animal personality research and show that the terminology used seems to be somehow species-related. Finally, we discuss some findings on the possible impact of personality on the welfare of farm animals. The assessment of personality in farm animals is of growing scientific and practical interest. Differences in theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches may also entail the diverse use of the different concepts between basic and applied research approaches. We conclude that more consistency is needed in using different theoretical concepts, terms and measures, especially in farm animal personality research. The terms coping style and temperament, which are used in different ways, should not be examined as independent concepts, but rather should be considered as different aspects of the whole personality concept. Farm animal personality should be increasingly considered for the improvement of animal housing, management, breeding and welfare. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T19:04:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-482639d05ec7437480d8179733ef1a18 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2297-1769 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T19:04:56Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-482639d05ec7437480d8179733ef1a182022-12-22T00:14:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Veterinary Science2297-17692018-06-01510.3389/fvets.2018.00131371437Personality Research in Mammalian Farm Animals: Concepts, Measures, and Relationship to WelfareMarie-Antonine Finkemeier0Marie-Antonine Finkemeier1Jan Langbein2Birger Puppe3Birger Puppe4Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, GermanyBehavioural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, GermanyInstitute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, GermanyInstitute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, GermanyBehavioural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, GermanyMeasuring and understanding personality in animals is a rising scientific field. Much research has been conducted to assess distinctive individual differences in behavior in a large number of species in the past few decades, and increasing numbers of studies include farm animals. Nevertheless, the terminology and definitions used in this broad scientific field are often confusing because different concepts and methods are used to explain often synonymously applied terms, such as personality, temperament and coping style. In the present review we give a comprehensive overview of the concepts and terms currently used in animal personality research and critically reveal how they are defined and what they measure. First, we shortly introduce concepts describing human personality and how these concepts are used to explain animal personality. Second, we present which concepts, methods and measures are applied in farm animal personality research and show that the terminology used seems to be somehow species-related. Finally, we discuss some findings on the possible impact of personality on the welfare of farm animals. The assessment of personality in farm animals is of growing scientific and practical interest. Differences in theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches may also entail the diverse use of the different concepts between basic and applied research approaches. We conclude that more consistency is needed in using different theoretical concepts, terms and measures, especially in farm animal personality research. The terms coping style and temperament, which are used in different ways, should not be examined as independent concepts, but rather should be considered as different aspects of the whole personality concept. Farm animal personality should be increasingly considered for the improvement of animal housing, management, breeding and welfare.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2018.00131/fullpersonalitytemperamentcoping stylewelfarefarm animals |
| spellingShingle | Marie-Antonine Finkemeier Marie-Antonine Finkemeier Jan Langbein Birger Puppe Birger Puppe Personality Research in Mammalian Farm Animals: Concepts, Measures, and Relationship to Welfare Frontiers in Veterinary Science personality temperament coping style welfare farm animals |
| title | Personality Research in Mammalian Farm Animals: Concepts, Measures, and Relationship to Welfare |
| title_full | Personality Research in Mammalian Farm Animals: Concepts, Measures, and Relationship to Welfare |
| title_fullStr | Personality Research in Mammalian Farm Animals: Concepts, Measures, and Relationship to Welfare |
| title_full_unstemmed | Personality Research in Mammalian Farm Animals: Concepts, Measures, and Relationship to Welfare |
| title_short | Personality Research in Mammalian Farm Animals: Concepts, Measures, and Relationship to Welfare |
| title_sort | personality research in mammalian farm animals concepts measures and relationship to welfare |
| topic | personality temperament coping style welfare farm animals |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2018.00131/full |
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