Personality in nonhuman animals

Alison M. Bell, Miles K. Bensky

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Organisms have been observing the behavior of other organisms for as long as there have been organisms. As humans, we are especially good at paying attention to cues from other humans and are acutely aware that people differ from each other. Astute observers of animal behavior have long noticed that individuals behave differently from one another, and a quick scan of popular YouTube channels devoted to individual pet cats strongly suggests that interest in the uniqueness of individual animals remains strong. What might be more surprising is that individual variation in nonhuman animals is no longer considered a mere curiosity in scientific circles: Over the past fifteen and more years individual variation in nonhuman animals (so called "animal personality") has attracted the attention of animal behaviorists, who are now pursuing it as a serious research topic.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationThe Cambridge Handbook of Personality Psychology
Subtitle of host publicationSecond Edition
PublisherCambridge University Press
Pages235-246
Number of pages12
ISBN (Electronic)9781108264822
ISBN (Print)9781108417099
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 3 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Psychology
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

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