TY - JOUR

T1 - Sex differences in longitudinal personality stability in chimpanzees

AU - Rawlings, Bruce

AU - Flynn, Emma

AU - Freeman, Hani

AU - Reamer, Lisa

AU - Schapiro, Steven J.

AU - Lambeth, Susan

AU - Kendal, Rachel L.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Personality factors analogous to the Big Five observed in humans are present in the great apes. However, few studies have examined the long-term stability of great ape personality, particularly using factor-based personality instruments. Here, we assessed overall group, and individual-level, stability of chimpanzee personality by collecting ratings for chimpanzees (N = 50) and comparing them with ratings collected approximately 10 years previously, using the same personality scale. The overall mean scores of three of the six factors differed across the two time points. Sex differences in personality were also observed, with overall sex differences found for three traits, and males and females showing different trajectories for two further traits over the 10 year period. Regardless of sex, rank-order stability analysis revealed strong stability for dominance; individuals who were dominant at the first time point were also dominant 10 years later. The other personality factors exhibited poor to moderate rank-order stability, indicating that individuals were variable in their rank-position consistency over time. As many studies assessing chimpanzee cognition rely on personality data collected several years prior to testing, these data highlight the importance of collecting current personality data when correlating them with cognitive performance.

AB - Personality factors analogous to the Big Five observed in humans are present in the great apes. However, few studies have examined the long-term stability of great ape personality, particularly using factor-based personality instruments. Here, we assessed overall group, and individual-level, stability of chimpanzee personality by collecting ratings for chimpanzees (N = 50) and comparing them with ratings collected approximately 10 years previously, using the same personality scale. The overall mean scores of three of the six factors differed across the two time points. Sex differences in personality were also observed, with overall sex differences found for three traits, and males and females showing different trajectories for two further traits over the 10 year period. Regardless of sex, rank-order stability analysis revealed strong stability for dominance; individuals who were dominant at the first time point were also dominant 10 years later. The other personality factors exhibited poor to moderate rank-order stability, indicating that individuals were variable in their rank-position consistency over time. As many studies assessing chimpanzee cognition rely on personality data collected several years prior to testing, these data highlight the importance of collecting current personality data when correlating them with cognitive performance.

KW - Chimpanzees

KW - Longitudinal

KW - Personality

KW - Sex-differences

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096169458&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/ehs.2020.45

DO - 10.1017/ehs.2020.45

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85096169458

VL - 2

JO - Evolutionary Human Sciences

JF - Evolutionary Human Sciences

SN - 2513-843X

M1 - e46

ER -