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Interaction between animal cognition and animal personality
Houšková, Markéta ; Landová, Eva (advisor) ; Šíchová, Klára (referee)
Personality is an important characteristic of individual variability which in some way restricts the full behavioural flexibility. Generally, it is not known, what is the relationship between environmental variability and variability in cognitive abilities of animals? More specifically, how this relationship impacts on the evolution of behavioural plasticity and the expression of animal personality. It is assumed that there is a correlation between the type of personalities and cognitive abilities but mutual causal relationship of this interaction is not yet fully understood. Proactive types of personalities in cognitive tests seem to be neophilic but slower in adapting to changes in the environment or in the analysing of signals with the changed meaning (reversal learning). On the contrary, reactive types of personalities are probably neophobic, they less risk and they are more flexible. However, it is questionable whether these behavioural types have an influence on cognitive abilities and how this influence manifests itself specifically to them. In this thesis, we will focus on whether and how different types of personalities are reflected in these cognitive abilities for each species and what is the methodology for testing these dependencies. Key words: animal personality, coping style,...
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Underlying causes and stability of intraspecific variation in behaviour of microtine rodents
ŠÍCHOVÁ, Klára
Two crucial issues related to personality in non-human animals have been identified: firstly, the underlying 'causes' of personality and,secondly, the stability of behavioural repertoires (essentially the defining feature of personality) have both been the subject of long-standing debate. This thesis is focused on investigating stable inter- and intra- individual differences in the behaviour of wildcaught bank voles, Myodes glareolus (that varied according to mtDNA type), and in common voles, Microtus arvalis. The first study, using wild voles, revealed empirical evidence about the effects of sex and mtDNA type on individual differences in basal metabolic rate and in behaviour in the open field which provides measures of approach and avoidance (here, generically termed 'proactivity') and which relate to several theoretical conceptualisations of animal personality. The second study demonstrated the presence of stable individual differences in reactions to exposure to open field test and radial maze in common voles, which were shaped by the social environment and in turn, related to cognitive efficiency. The same species was used in the third study documenting the distinct temporal patterns of behavioural plasticity that manifested over repeated exposures to the open field test. We suggest that this distinct temporal patterning in habituation, whilst it varied over time, was predictable in nature and therefore a reflection of a stable underlying personality. To conclude, this body of thesis work draws together a number of influencing factors, and considers their contribution to animal personality.
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Interaction between animal cognition and animal personality
Houšková, Markéta ; Landová, Eva (advisor) ; Šíchová, Klára (referee)
Personality is an important characteristic of individual variability which in some way restricts the full behavioural flexibility. Generally, it is not known, what is the relationship between environmental variability and variability in cognitive abilities of animals? More specifically, how this relationship impacts on the evolution of behavioural plasticity and the expression of animal personality. It is assumed that there is a correlation between the type of personalities and cognitive abilities but mutual causal relationship of this interaction is not yet fully understood. Proactive types of personalities in cognitive tests seem to be neophilic but slower in adapting to changes in the environment or in the analysing of signals with the changed meaning (reversal learning). On the contrary, reactive types of personalities are probably neophobic, they less risk and they are more flexible. However, it is questionable whether these behavioural types have an influence on cognitive abilities and how this influence manifests itself specifically to them. In this thesis, we will focus on whether and how different types of personalities are reflected in these cognitive abilities for each species and what is the methodology for testing these dependencies. Key words: animal personality, coping style,...
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