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Peťková B, Skurková L, Florian M, Slivková M, Dudra Kasičová Z, Kottferová J. Variations in Canine Behavioural Characteristics across Conventional Breed Clusters and Most Common Breed-Based Public Stereotypes. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2695. [PMID: 39335284 DOI: 10.3390/ani14182695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2024] [Revised: 09/12/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Dog breeds are grouped based on scientific agreement, whether for traditional reasons or specific tasks during their domestication. Discrepancies may occur between public views of breed behaviour and actual evidence. This research aims to investigate differences in five behavioural traits (aggression towards people, aggression towards animals, fearfulness, responsiveness to training, and activity/excitability) by using the Dog Personality Questionnaire (DPQ) across six conventional groups/clusters of dog breeds (herding, hunting, guarding, companion dogs, potentially aggressive breeds, and mixed-breed dogs) and to assess hypotheses derived from common public presumptions. A cohort of 1309 dog owners sourced through diverse online platforms took part in the study. Contrary to stereotypes, the findings indicate that breeds labelled as "potentially aggressive" display lower levels of aggression compared to guarding breeds (χ2 (5) = 3.657, p = 0.041) and mixed-breeds (χ2 (5) = 3.870, p = 0.002). Additionally, mixed-breed dogs exhibited the highest levels of fearfulness among the six conventional clusters. In terms of aggression and gender, males demonstrated higher aggression levels towards both humans and animals compared to females (p = 0.001). These results challenge established assumptions and emphasise the necessity of evidence-based methodologies in the assessment of canine behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Peťková
- Workplace of Applied Ethology and Professional Ethics, Department of Public Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Lenka Skurková
- Workplace of Applied Ethology and Professional Ethics, Department of Public Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Martin Florian
- Workplace of Applied Ethology and Professional Ethics, Department of Public Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Monika Slivková
- Workplace of Applied Ethology and Professional Ethics, Department of Public Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Dudra Kasičová
- Workplace of Applied Ethology and Professional Ethics, Department of Public Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Jana Kottferová
- Workplace of Applied Ethology and Professional Ethics, Department of Public Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
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Capitain S, Cimarelli G, Blenkuš U, Range F, Marshall-Pescini S. Street-wise dog testing: Feasibility and reliability of a behavioural test battery for free-ranging dogs in their natural habitat. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296509. [PMID: 38483862 PMCID: PMC10939227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Behavioural scientists are increasingly recognizing the need to conduct experiments in the wild to achieve a comprehensive understanding of their species' behaviour. For domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), such progress has been slow. While the life in human households is often regarded as dogs' natural habitat, this classification disregards most of the global dog population. The value of experimentally testing free-ranging dogs' cognition and behaviour is increasingly being recognized, but no comprehensive test batteries have been conducted on those populations so far, leaving the feasibility and reliability of such endeavours unknown. This study is the starting point to fill this gap by pioneering and validating an elaborate behavioural test battery on street-living dogs. Therein, six common temperament tests (human-/conspecific-directed sociability, neophobia, tractability) and dog-human communication paradigms (pointing, inaccessible object) were adapted to the street conditions. We evaluated the feasibility of the test battery, the coding reliability of the measures, and investigated their temporal consistency in a retest of the same individuals six weeks later (test-retest reliability). The test battery proved feasible with most dogs participating in all subtests, and it showed satisfactory inter- and intra-rater reliability (0.84 and 0.93 respectively), providing evidence that complex behavioural tests can be conducted even in highly variable street conditions. Retesting revealed that some behaviours could be captured reliably across time, especially when the subtest was particularly engaging (e.g., human approach, point following). In contrast, the low retest reliability for subtests relying on sustained novelty and behaviours that were highly susceptible to disturbances (e.g., gazing) reflects the difficulties of street dog testing, including standardisation in disturbance-prone environments, ecology-dependent adaptation of methods, and intrinsic differences between pet and free-ranging dogs. With some adaptations, this test battery can be valuable in investigating cognition and behavioural profiles in such an understudied population as free-ranging dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Capitain
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giulia Cimarelli
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Urša Blenkuš
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friederike Range
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Marshall-Pescini
- Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Domestication Lab, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Urrutia A, Bánszegi O, Szenczi P, Hudson R. Development of "personality" in the domestic cat: A longitudinal study. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22427. [PMID: 37860897 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Although individual differences in the behavior of animals, sometimes referred to as personality, have recently received considerable attention, the development of such differences remains understudied. We previously found consistent individual differences in behavior in four tests simulating everyday contexts in 74 preweaning age kittens from 16 litters of the domestic cat. To study the development of consistent among-individual differences in four behavioral traits in cats, we followed a subset of these same individuals and repeated the same tests at 6 and 12 months of age. Some individual differences in behavior became increasingly repeatable with age due to a combination of decreased individual-level variance (canalization) and increased among-individual variance; these changes in variance and repeatability continued into adulthood (12 months). We did not observe behavioral syndromes at any age, in contrast to our previous reports in a different population of adult cats. The mechanisms that underlie increased repeatability with age and the possibility of personality structure differing between populations in this species remain to be studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Urrutia
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio A, 1er Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Oxána Bánszegi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Péter Szenczi
- CONACYT-Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Unidad Psicopatología y Desarrollo, Ciudad, de México, Mexico
| | - Robyn Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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Marcato M, Tedesco S, O'Mahony C, O'Flynn B, Galvin P. Machine learning based canine posture estimation using inertial data. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286311. [PMID: 37342986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to design a new canine posture estimation system specifically for working dogs. The system was composed of Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) that are commercially available, and a supervised learning algorithm which was developed for different behaviours. Three IMUs, each containing a 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer, were attached to the dogs' chest, back, and neck. To build and test the model, data were collected during a video-recorded behaviour test where the trainee assistance dogs performed static postures (standing, sitting, lying down) and dynamic activities (walking, body shake). Advanced feature extraction techniques were employed for the first time in this field, including statistical, temporal, and spectral methods. The most important features for posture prediction were chosen using Select K Best with ANOVA F-value. The individual contributions of each IMU, sensor, and feature type were analysed using Select K Best scores and Random Forest feature importance. Results showed that the back and chest IMUs were more important than the neck IMU, and the accelerometers were more important than the gyroscopes. The addition of IMUs to the chest and back of dog harnesses is recommended to improve performance. Additionally, statistical and temporal feature domains were more important than spectral feature domains. Three novel cascade arrangements of Random Forest and Isolation Forest were fitted to the dataset. The best classifier achieved an f1-macro of 0.83 and an f1-weighted of 0.90 for the prediction of the five postures, demonstrating a better performance than previous studies. These results were attributed to the data collection methodology (number of subjects and observations, multiple IMUs, use of common working dog breeds) and novel machine learning techniques (advanced feature extraction, feature selection and modelling arrangements) employed. The dataset and code used are publicly available on Mendeley Data and GitHub, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marinara Marcato
- Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Conor O'Mahony
- Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Brendan O'Flynn
- Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Paul Galvin
- Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Travnik IC, Machado DS, Sant'Anna AC. Do you see the same cat that I see? Inter- and intra-observer reliability for Qualitative Behaviour Assessment as temperament indicator in domestic cats. Anim Welf 2022. [DOI: 10.7120/09627286.31.3.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) is used to assess animals' emotional expressions and its potential for serving as an indicator of temperament has been explored. This method is open to assessors' interpretation and it is therefore necessary to evaluate the observers' reliability
for different species and contexts. We aimed to assess the intra- and inter-observer reliability of QBA as an indicator of cat (Felis catus) temperament. The QBA was applied by 19 observers with divergent profiles of contact with cats (cat owners vs non-owners) and experience in behavioural
assessment (experienced vs inexperienced). Forty-two, 12-min videos were assessed, composed of footage of four behavioural tests: unfamiliar person, novel object, conspecific reaction, and food offering tests. By using Principal Component Analysis, we found three principal components (PC)
that were considered the main dimensions of cat temperament. According to Kendall's coefficient of concordance, intra-observer reliability was high to very high in PC1 (0.80–0.90) and moderate to high in PC2 and PC3 (0.50–0.82). Inter-observer reliability for the 19 observers was
high in PC1 (0.71) and low in PC2 and PC3 (0.21–0.29). The individual concordances with the gold observer (defined based on greater experience with the QBA) ranged from moderate to high. We concluded that QBA could be a reliable tool to assess cat temperament, given the high values of
intra- and inter-observer reliabilities in PC1, which is the dimension that most explains the behavioural variations in the cats' temperament. The same did not occur for PC2 and PC3, showing that reliability varied among the different dimensions and observers.
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Affiliation(s)
- IC Travnik
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36.036-330, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - DS Machado
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36.036-330, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - AC Sant'Anna
- Núcleo de Estudos em Etologia e Bem-estar Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36.036-330, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Jiang Q, Zhang Y, Pian W. Chatbot as an emergency exist: Mediated empathy for resilience via human-AI interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inf Process Manag 2022; 59:103074. [PMID: 36059428 PMCID: PMC9428597 DOI: 10.1016/j.ipm.2022.103074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
As a global health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has also made heavy mental and emotional tolls become shared experiences of global communities, especially among females who were affected more by the pandemic than males for anxiety and depression. By connecting multiple facets of empathy as key mechanisms of information processing with the communication theory of resilience, the present study examines human-AI interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to understand digitally mediated empathy and how the intertwining of empathic and communicative processes of resilience works as coping strategies for COVID-19 disruption. Mixed methods were adopted to explore the using experiences and effects of Replika, a chatbot companion powered by AI, with ethnographic research, in-depth interviews, and grounded theory-based analysis. Findings of this research extend empathy theories from interpersonal communication to human-AI interactions and show five types of digitally mediated empathy among Chinese female Replika users with varying degrees of cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and empathic response involved in the information processing processes, i.e., companion buddy, responsive diary, emotion-handling program, electronic pet, and tool for venting. When processing information obtained from AI and collaborative interactions with the AI chatbot, multiple facets of mediated empathy become unexpected pathways to resilience and enhance users’ well-being. This study fills the research gap by exploring empathy and resilience processes in human-AI interactions. Practical implications, especially for increasing individuals’ psychological resilience as an important component of global recovery from the pandemic, suggestions for future chatbot design, and future research directions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaolei Jiang
- School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yadi Zhang
- School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wenjing Pian
- School of Economics and Management, Fuzhou University, Xueyuan Road, Qishan Campus, Fuzhou 350116, China
- Center for Studies of Information Resources, Wuhan University, 299 Bayi Road, Wuhan City 430072, China
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Vaz J, Bartley A, Hunt J. Personality matters: exploring the relationship between personality and stress physiology in captive African lions. BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:30. [PMID: 37170353 PMCID: PMC10127340 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00126-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Considering animals as individuals and not as species is becoming increasingly essential to animal welfare management in captive settings. Recent studies on big cat personalities and coping strategies suggest personality can help big cats cope in their surroundings. Yet a large portion of the published literature focuses on understanding either the personality or stress physiology of big cats. Our research shows how integrating an improved understanding of the personality of big cats with stress physiology may enhance welfare, especially for endangered species like African lions. By using a wild cat personality checklist, this study compared the key personality dimensions of 22 African lions with its faecal glucocorticoids and assessed factors influencing their personality and stress physiology.
Results
We found two reliable personality dimensions for African lions (dominance and agreeableness) and identified key factors (sex, age and location) that may influence their personality. Further, on testing if these factors influenced the stress physiology through variations in glucocorticoid levels, there was no significant difference. However, there was a strong negative association between agreeableness and glucocorticoid levels. These results suggest that the behavioural traits loading positively and higher for agreeableness are associated with lower glucocorticoid stress levels, which may assist a lion to cope with stressors in its surroundings.
Conclusions
Our findings highlight this integrated approach of linking personality and stress physiology of big cats can be beneficial for caretakers. For example, during stressful veterinary procedures or in reintroduction programs, recognizing the personality of lions can help in designing or providing them with resources that will alleviate stress. Thus, there is a need for more interdisciplinary approaches that will contribute towards enhancing the individual and overall welfare of big cats.
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Urrutia A, Bánszegi O, Szenczi P, Hudson R. Emergence of personality in weaning‐age kittens of the domestic cat? Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22281. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.22281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Urrutia
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio A, 1er Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria Mexico City Mexico
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Mexico City Mexico
| | - Oxána Bánszegi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Mexico City Mexico
| | - Péter Szenczi
- CONACYT ‐ Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz Unidad Psicopatología y Desarrollo Mexico City Mexico
| | - Robyn Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Mexico City Mexico
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Leech LE, Preziosi R, Stoycheva R, Pastorino GQ. The Effects of Owner and Domestic Cat (Felis catus) Demographics on Cat Personality Traits. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Identifying Behavioural Traits and Underlying Personality Dimensions in Domestic Ferrets ( Mustela putorius furo). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11082173. [PMID: 34438631 PMCID: PMC8388451 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Personality research is lacking in the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo). The fundamental objective of this study was thus to investigate the underlying structure of personality in ferrets. Owner-reported trait ratings were collected using an online questionnaire, which entailed ferret owners rating several traits (adjectives) on a Likert scale, according to how well they applied to their ferret(s). Four key personality dimensions emerged and were labelled Extraversion, Sociability, Attentiveness, and Neuroticism, according to the types of traits they were composed of. Certain characteristics were found to influence personality: male ferrets were rated as more sociable than females, whereas females were rated as more attentive and neurotic. Extraversion generally decreases with age, and de-sexing was insignificant across all personality dimensions. These results are beneficial for informing the discussion concerning the evolutionary significance of animal personality as well as providing aid in positive welfare management, that is, catering to the needs of individuals rather than groups. Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the personality structure of domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) by using owner-based reporting of personality traits. A total of 743 ferret owners participated in an online questionnaire, with a total of 1029 ferrets being assessed. Respondents rated 67 adjectives based on their ferret(s) behavioural traits and personality. Principal component analysis (PCA) of these trait ratings identified four underlying personality dimensions, which accounted for 47.1% of the total variance. These were labelled according to the traits that they encompass: Extraversion, Sociability, Attentiveness, and Neuroticism. Details about ferret sex, de-sexing status, age, and coat colour were also sought, and General Linear Mixed Models were used to test the main effects of these characteristics on the personality dimensions. It was found that sex (p < 0.01) and age (p < 0.001) significantly influenced certain personality components, whereas de-sexing did not. Sociability, Attentiveness, and Neuroticism were found to differ based on sex, whereby males were rated as more sociable than females, but females were rated higher on the Attentiveness and Neuroticism subscales. Finally, Extraversion was found to generally decrease with age. We can use the findings of this study to make cross-species comparisons and further inform the discussion regarding the adaptive relevance of animal personality. Identifying differences in personality types can improve welfare by using this information to satisfy the different needs of individuals.
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Mikkola S, Salonen M, Hakanen E, Sulkama S, Lohi H. Reliability and Validity of Seven Feline Behavior and Personality Traits. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11071991. [PMID: 34359119 PMCID: PMC8300181 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestic cats are popular pets, and they have personalities, with stable behavior differences between individuals. Lately, feline behavior and personality have been studied with different approaches, for example, with owner-completed questionnaires. The majority of these studies, however, lack a sufficient validation and reliability assessment of the questionnaires used. We designed an online feline behavior and personality questionnaire to collect cat behavior data from their owners. Then, we ran a factor analysis to study the structure of personality and behavior in a dataset of over 4300 cats. For validation, we studied the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity of this questionnaire and extracted factors. In addition, we briefly examined breed differences in the seven discovered factors: fearfulness, activity/playfulness, aggression toward humans, sociability toward humans, sociability toward cats, excessive grooming and litterbox issues. Most of the rank ordering of breeds within each trait paralleled what has been found in previous studies. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire and factors were good, strengthening owner-completed questionnaires as a method to collect behavioral data from pet animals. Breed differences suggest a genetic background for personality. However, these differences should be studied further with multidimensional models, including environmental and biological variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salla Mikkola
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.M.); (M.S.); (E.H.); (S.S.)
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Milla Salonen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.M.); (M.S.); (E.H.); (S.S.)
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Emma Hakanen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.M.); (M.S.); (E.H.); (S.S.)
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sini Sulkama
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.M.); (M.S.); (E.H.); (S.S.)
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannes Lohi
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.M.); (M.S.); (E.H.); (S.S.)
- Department of Medical and Clinical Genetics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Folkhälsan Research Center, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +35-829-412-5085
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Vojtkovská V, Voslářová E, Večerek V. Methods of Assessment of the Welfare of Shelter Cats: A Review. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10091527. [PMID: 32872242 PMCID: PMC7552334 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
At any moment, there are millions of cats housed in foster care facilities for abandoned and stray animals for various reasons worldwide. Care, management and regulation among these facilities differ. Moreover, shelters can never substitute the full comfort of a good home for the animal, and the welfare of cats in shelters is a subject of discussion in many respects. Cats are animals sensitive to changes; for most of them, placement in a shelter is a stressful experience because of changes in routine, environment and the presence of other animals. Stress is reflected in changes in behaviour, causes fluctuations in physiological values and disrupts the immune system, which is a predisposition to the development or reactivation of disease. Evaluation of the presence and intensity of negative impacts is possible through the use of evaluation tools based on indicators that help set the environment and management of keeping so as to disrupt the quality of life as little as possible. Although a comprehensive and valid welfare tool that would evaluate animal-based and at the same time resource-based (or management-based) indicators of cats in shelters is not currently available, it is possible to use partial evaluation of individual welfare indicators to assess welfare. This review aims to provide the readers with an insight into current options of assessment of the welfare of cats in shelters with an emphasis on behavioural, physiological and health indicators with an application in both practical and scientific contexts.
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13
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Travnik IDC, Machado DDS, Gonçalves LDS, Ceballos MC, Sant’Anna AC. Temperament in Domestic Cats: A Review of Proximate Mechanisms, Methods of Assessment, Its Effects on Human-Cat Relationships, and One Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E1516. [PMID: 32867072 PMCID: PMC7552130 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Temperament can be defined as interindividual differences in behavior that are stable over time and in different contexts. The terms 'personality', 'coping styles', and 'behavioral syndromes' have also been used to describe these interindividual differences. In this review, the main aspects of cat temperament research are summarized and discussed, based on 43 original research papers published between 1986 and 2020. We aimed to present current advances in cat temperament research and identify potential gaps in knowledge, as well as opportunities for future research. Proximate mechanisms, such as genetic bases of temperament, ontogenesis and developmental factors, physiological mechanisms, and relationships with morphology, were reviewed. Methods traditionally used to assess the temperament of cats might be classified based on the duration of procedures (short- vs. long-term measures) and the nature of data recordings (coding vs. rating methods). The structure of cat temperament is frequently described using a set of behavioral dimensions, primarily based on interindividual variations in cats' responses toward humans and conspecifics (e.g., friendliness, sociability, boldness, and aggressiveness). Finally, cats' temperaments have implications for human-animal interactions and the one welfare concept. Temperament assessment can also contribute to practical aspects, for example, the adoption of shelter cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isadora de Castro Travnik
- Núcleo de Estudos em Etologia e Bem-estar Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil; (I.d.C.T.); (D.d.S.M.); (L.d.S.G.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Daiana de Souza Machado
- Núcleo de Estudos em Etologia e Bem-estar Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil; (I.d.C.T.); (D.d.S.M.); (L.d.S.G.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Comportamento e Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Luana da Silva Gonçalves
- Núcleo de Estudos em Etologia e Bem-estar Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil; (I.d.C.T.); (D.d.S.M.); (L.d.S.G.)
| | - Maria Camila Ceballos
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T3R 1J3, Canada;
| | - Aline Cristina Sant’Anna
- Núcleo de Estudos em Etologia e Bem-estar Animal, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG 36036-900, Brazil; (I.d.C.T.); (D.d.S.M.); (L.d.S.G.)
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Martínez-Byer S, Urrutia A, Szenczi P, Hudson R, Bánszegi O. Evidence for Individual Differences in Behaviour and for Behavioural Syndromes in Adult Shelter Cats. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10060962. [PMID: 32492877 PMCID: PMC7341514 DOI: 10.3390/ani10060962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary An important activity of modern animal shelters is the development of successful adoption programmes. In this regard, there is a need for reliable tests of individual differences in behaviour to help match the “personality” of potential adoptees with the lifestyle and needs of prospective owners; a companion animal for an elderly person remaining at home requires a different match than a pet for someone who will be away most of the day; a pet kept exclusively indoors in a small apartment requires a different match than an indoor/outdoor pet. In the present study, we repeatedly tested 31 mixed-breed adult cats of both sexes and a wide range of ages in five behavioural tests at a shelter in Mexico City, Mexico. The tests were designed to be easily implemented by shelter staff, and were short and low cost and intended to simulate common situations in a pet cat’s everyday life. We found consistent (stable) individual differences in the cats’ behaviour on all five tests, as well as correlations between their behaviour across tests. This suggests that such tests may contribute to reliably characterizing the “personality” of individual cats and so help increase the rate of successful adoptions. Abstract Consistent inter-individual differences in behaviour have been previously reported in adult shelter cats. In this study, we aimed to assess whether repeatable individual differences in behaviours exhibited by shelter cats in different situations were interrelated, forming behavioural syndromes. We tested 31 adult cats in five different behavioural tests, repeated three times each: a struggle test where an experimenter restrained the cat, a separation/confinement test where the cat spent 2 min in a pet carrier, a mouse test where the cat was presented with a live mouse in a jar, and two tests where the cat reacted to an unfamiliar human who remained either passive or actively approached the cat. Individual differences in behaviour were consistent (repeatable) across repeated trials for each of the tests. We also found associations between some of the behaviours shown in the different tests, several of which appeared to be due to differences in human-oriented behaviours. This study is the first to assess the presence of behavioural syndromes using repeated behavioural tests in different situations common in the daily life of a cat, and which may prove useful in improving the match between prospective owner and cat in shelter adoption programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Martínez-Byer
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio A, 1er Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, CP 04510, Mexico; (S.M.-B.); (A.U.)
| | - Andrea Urrutia
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio A, 1er Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, CP 04510, Mexico; (S.M.-B.); (A.U.)
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, A.P. 70228, CP 04510, Mexico;
| | - Péter Szenczi
- CONACYT—Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Unidad Psicopatología y Desarrollo, Calz. México-Xochimilco 101, CP 14370, Mexico
- Correspondence: (P.S.); (O.B.); Tel.: + 52-56-22-38-28 (P.S.); + 52-56-22-38-28 (O.B.)
| | - Robyn Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, A.P. 70228, CP 04510, Mexico;
| | - Oxána Bánszegi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, A.P. 70228, CP 04510, Mexico;
- Correspondence: (P.S.); (O.B.); Tel.: + 52-56-22-38-28 (P.S.); + 52-56-22-38-28 (O.B.)
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15
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Are cats less stressed in homes than in shelters? A study of personality and faecal cortisol metabolites. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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16
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Wallis LJ, Szabó D, Kubinyi E. Cross-Sectional Age Differences in Canine Personality Traits; Influence of Breed, Sex, Previous Trauma, and Dog Obedience Tasks. Front Vet Sci 2020; 6:493. [PMID: 31993445 PMCID: PMC6971055 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The dog has been suggested as a possible model for personality development over the lifespan, however, we know little about how aging may shape their personality or the magnitude of age-related changes. Previously we established that aging influences multiple dog demographics, which could also affect how personality traits change across different age periods. A demographic questionnaire and the Dog Personality Questionnaire were completed for a cross-sectional sample of 1,207 adult dogs living in Hungary (Mage = 7.71, SD = 4.12), split into six different age groups. Results revealed three of the five factors showed significant age effects. Activity/Excitability decreased with age, and whilst Responsiveness to training also decreased, only dogs older than 12 years differed significantly from the other groups. Aggressiveness toward animals showed a quadratic trajectory peaking in dogs aged 6–10 years. The greatest magnitude of age-related change was detected between late senior and geriatric ages, likely caused by compensatory behavioral changes to biological aging and owner attitudes to aging. When the models were re-run including the other explanatory variables, age group was no longer significant for the Responsiveness to training trait. The amount of time spent interacting/playing with the owner partially mediated the relationship between age and this trait, implying that interventions to increase play and training motivation may alleviate the negative effects of aging on dogs' trainability. Fifteen out of 28 explanatory variables were significantly associated with at least one of the five factors [weight, breed (pure/mixed breed), sex, off-leash activity, diet, previous trauma, age of dog when arrived in the household, play, dog training activities, number of known commands and dog obedience tasks]. Similarly to humans, dogs that had previously experienced trauma scored higher in fearfulness and aggression. A higher level of basic obedience was linked to some desirable dog personality traits (lower Fearfulness and Aggression, and higher Activity/Excitability and Responsiveness to training). Regardless of the direction of this relationship, obedience is an important aspect contributing to dog personality questionnaires and the dog-owner relationship. This study is unique in that it considered a wide variety of demographic variables which are influenced by aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa J Wallis
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dóra Szabó
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Enikő Kubinyi
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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17
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Savalli C, Albuquerque N, Vasconcellos AS, Ramos D, de Mello FT, Mills DS. Assessment of emotional predisposition in dogs using PANAS (Positive and Negative Activation Scale) and associated relationships in a sample of dogs from Brazil. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18386. [PMID: 31804536 PMCID: PMC6895085 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54645-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The English version of the Positive and Negative Activation Scale (PANAS) is a useful tool for the assessment of dog temperament, helping to identify highly sensitive individuals that could be at risk of developing fears, phobias and anxiety problems, and potentially depressive states. This study evaluated the association between dogs' and owners' characteristics and dog temperament in Brazil. To accomplish this, we adapted and validated a Portuguese language version of PANAS for dogs. Data from 1744 owner-dog dyads were analysed and a two-factor structure similar to the original PANAS was revealed that met the requirements for validity and internal consistency. We found that dogs owned by women, neutered dogs and those who live in single-dog households show higher negative activation. Moreover, the older the owner, the less the negative activation for dogs that are bought. We also found that the older the dog, the less the positive activation, but this score is higher in dogs that sleep inside the house. Interestingly, mixed-breed dogs scored higher for both negative and positive emotional activation compared to purebreds. These findings alongside the particular profile of dogs in Brazil, including its large population of mixed-breed, emphasise the value of cross-cultural investigations in order to develop a full understanding of dog behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Daniel S Mills
- Animal Behaviour Cognition and Welfare Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
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18
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Krall C, Glass S, Dancourt G, Adams M, Koenig K, Hutchinson EK. Behavioural anxiety predisposes rabbits to intra-operative apnoea and cardiorespiratory instability. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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19
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Urrutia A, Martínez-Byer S, Szenczi P, Hudson R, Bánszegi O. Stable individual differences in vocalisation and motor activity during acute stress in the domestic cat. Behav Processes 2019; 165:58-65. [PMID: 31132445 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The behavioural assessment of individual animals in stressful situations should consider measures which are consistent across repeated testing, and therefore truly representative of an individual's behaviour. Here we report a study conducted on 40 neutered adult cats (Felis silvestris catus) of both sexes, originating from two animal shelters in Mexico and Hungary. We recorded the responses of the cats to repeated brief confinement trials that mimicked a common situation (confinement in a pet carrier). This test was repeated three times, leaving one week between trials, to assess short-term repeatability. Stable inter-individual differences in two behavioural measures, the number of separation calls and the duration of motor activity, were found, although the inter-individual differences in vocalisation were more pronounced than they were for motor activity. Additionally, the overall number of vocalisations emitted remained stable despite repeated testing, whereas motor activity tended to decrease week to week. There was a negative effect of age on vocalisation rate, and no effect of sex on either behaviour. No correlation between the two behavioural measures was found. We suggest that, in adult cats, vocalisation may be more reliable than motor activity as a behavioural measure of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Urrutia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70228, CP 04510, Mexico City, Mexico; Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio A, 1er Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, CP 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Sandra Martínez-Byer
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70228, CP 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Péter Szenczi
- Cátedras CONACyT, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Mexico City, Mexico; Dirección de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico; Unidad Psicopatología y Desarrollo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Robyn Hudson
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70228, CP 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Oxána Bánszegi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, AP 70228, CP 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.
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20
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Wilson V, Guenther A, Øverli Ø, Seltmann MW, Altschul D. Future Directions for Personality Research: Contributing New Insights to the Understanding of Animal Behavior. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:E240. [PMID: 31096599 PMCID: PMC6562689 DOI: 10.3390/ani9050240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
As part of the European Conference on Behavioral Biology 2018, we organized a symposium entitled, "Animal personality: providing new insights into behavior?" The aims of this symposium were to address current research in the personality field, spanning both behavioral ecology and psychology, to highlight the future directions for this research, and to consider whether differential approaches to studying behavior contribute something new to the understanding of animal behavior. In this paper, we discuss the study of endocrinology and ontogeny in understanding how behavioral variation is generated and maintained, despite selection pressures assumed to reduce this variation. We consider the potential mechanisms that could link certain traits to fitness outcomes through longevity and cognition. We also address the role of individual differences in stress coping, mortality, and health risk, and how the study of these relationships could be applied to improve animal welfare. From the insights provided by these topics, we assert that studying individual differences through the lens of personality has provided new directions in behavioral research, and we encourage further research in these directions, across this interdisciplinary field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Wilson
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göettingen, Germany.
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University, 37077 Göettingen, Germany.
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Anja Guenther
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany.
| | - Øyvind Øverli
- Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-0508 Oslo, Norway.
| | | | - Drew Altschul
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
- Center for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
- Scottish Primate Research Group.
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21
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Schoenfeld-Tacher R, Kogan LR, Carney PC. Perception of Cats: Assessing the Differences Between Videos and Still Pictures on Adoptability and Associated Characteristics. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:87. [PMID: 30972344 PMCID: PMC6445959 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
While animal shelters have made significant progress in reducing the number of euthanized dogs and cats, millions of unclaimed pets are still euthanized every year. Cats, in particular, face bleak prospects, with ~70% of those that enter animal shelters euthanized. Many factors influence potential cat adopters' decisions, including a cat's physical appearance and perceived personality. To explore elements related to the perception of cat personality, this study examined whether videos and pictures highlight different characteristics felt to potentially affect perceived cat adoptability. An online survey was used to assess perceptions regarding videos and pictures of cats. The survey consisted of three adult cats viewed in a short video and as a still picture. Participants were asked to view the media and rate how well these images depicted 12 separate characteristics (from extremely well to not well at all). Respondents were then asked how likely they would be to adopt this cat if they “were in the market to adopt a cat.” A total of 555 surveys were analyzed to answer two questions. The first question was whether cats were perceived as more adoptable when viewed in a still photo or in an action video. A statistically significant difference was found between median photo and video adoption scores for all three cats, with video scores consistently higher than photo scores. The next question was how video footage might alter perception of cats when compared to still photos. For all three cats, the traits “Playful,” “Aggressive,” “Active,” and “Curious” received higher scores when the cats were viewed in videos vs. photos. All of these traits can be associated with active behaviors, best demonstrated via motion. The cats, however, were seen as more “Loving,” “Shy,” “Quiet,” and “Likes to be held” in photos compared to videos. The results suggest that there is an advantage of videos over pictures in perceived adoptability, as determined by response to the question “how likely would you be to adopt this cat,” but this difference is small and likely does not justify additional resources. Exceptions might be for active, outgoing cats in order to highlight these attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Schoenfeld-Tacher
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Lori R Kogan
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Patrick C Carney
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Community Practice Service, Ithaca, NY, United States
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22
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Evans R, Lyons M, Brewer G, Tucci S. The purrfect match: The influence of personality on owner satisfaction with their domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus). PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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23
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Corrieri L, Adda M, Miklósi Á, Kubinyi E. Companion and free-ranging Bali dogs: Environmental links with personality traits in an endemic dog population of South East Asia. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197354. [PMID: 29870525 PMCID: PMC5988322 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dogs living on Bali Island have been free-ranging for thousands of years. A large group of expatriates sometimes adopt Bali dogs and keep them restricted to their houses and backyards, as is typical in modern western cultures. This provides us with the unique opportunity to compare the personality traits of dogs to their lifestyle either living as human companions or as free-ranging animals, exploring at the same time the impact of demographic variables (such as age, sex, and neutered status) on personality. After controlling for internal consistency of the scales and between-observer variation, we found that free-ranging Bali dogs were rated as less active, less excitable, less aggressive towards animals, and less inclined to chase animals or humans than Bali dogs living as human companions. Among free-ranging dogs, females were found to be more excitable. Females in the whole sample were also more fearful of people. The results of this preliminary study suggest that a change in lifestyle, i.e. being adopted, and living in a confined environment has negative consequences on some canine personality traits, such as activity/excitability, aggression towards animals, and prey drive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Corrieri
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Marco Adda
- Independent Researcher, AEC Anthrozoology Education and Canines, Naples, Italy
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Enikő Kubinyi
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- * E-mail:
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24
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Turcsán B, Wallis L, Virányi Z, Range F, Müller CA, Huber L, Riemer S. Personality traits in companion dogs-Results from the VIDOPET. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195448. [PMID: 29634747 PMCID: PMC5892901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Individual behavioural differences in pet dogs are of great interest from a basic and applied research perspective. Most existing dog personality tests have specific (practical) goals in mind and so focused only on a limited aspect of dogs' personality, such as identifying problematic (aggressive or fearful) behaviours, assessing suitability as working dogs, or improving the results of adoption. Here we aimed to create a comprehensive test of personality in pet dogs that goes beyond traditional practical evaluations by exposing pet dogs to a range of situations they might encounter in everyday life. The Vienna Dog Personality Test (VIDOPET) consists of 15 subtests and was performed on 217 pet dogs. A two-step data reduction procedure (principal component analysis on each subtest followed by an exploratory factor analysis on the subtest components) yielded five factors: Sociability-obedience, Activity-independence, Novelty seeking, Problem orientation, and Frustration tolerance. A comprehensive evaluation of reliability and validity measures demonstrated excellent inter- and intra-observer reliability and adequate internal consistency of all factors. Moreover the test showed good temporal consistency when re-testing a subsample of dogs after an average of 3.8 years-a considerably longer test-retest interval than assessed for any other dog personality test, to our knowledge. The construct validity of the test was investigated by analysing the correlations between the results of video coding and video rating methods and the owners' assessment via a dog personality questionnaire. The results demonstrated good convergent as well as discriminant validity. To conclude, the VIDOPET is not only a highly reliable and valid tool for measuring dog personality, but also the first test to show consistent behavioural traits related to problem solving ability and frustration tolerance in pet dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borbála Turcsán
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lisa Wallis
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Virányi
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friederike Range
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Corsin A. Müller
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefanie Riemer
- Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Animal Welfare, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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25
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Seltmann MW, Helle S, Adams MJ, Mar KU, Lahdenperä M. Evaluating the personality structure of semi-captive Asian elephants living in their natural habitat. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172026. [PMID: 29515900 PMCID: PMC5830789 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Data on personality for long-lived, highly social wild mammals with high cognitive abilities are rare. We investigated the personality structure of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) by using a large sample of semi-captive timber elephants in Myanmar. Data were collected during 2014-2017 using questionnaires, for which elephant riders (mahouts) rated 28 behavioural adjectives of elephants. Repeated questionnaires were obtained for each elephant from several raters whenever possible, resulting in 690 ratings of 150 female and 107 male elephants. We started by performing a confirmatory factor analysis to compare the fit of our data to a previously published captive elephant personality structure. Owing to a poor fit of this model to our data, we proceeded by performing explanatory factor analysis to determine the personality structure in our study population. This model suggested that personality in these elephants was manifested as three factors that we labelled as Attentiveness, Sociability and Aggressiveness. This structure did not differ between the sexes. These results provide the basis for future research on the link between personality and reproductive success in this endangered species and more generally, help to resolve the selective pressures on personalities in long-lived, highly social species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin W. Seltmann
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Samuli Helle
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Mark J. Adams
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK
| | - Khyne U Mar
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Mirkka Lahdenperä
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
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26
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Reaney SJ, Zulch H, Mills D, Gardner S, Collins L. Emotional affect and the occurrence of owner reported health problems in the domestic dog. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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27
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Application of Free Choice Profiling to assess the emotional state of dogs housed in shelter environments. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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28
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Litchfield CA, Quinton G, Tindle H, Chiera B, Kikillus KH, Roetman P. The 'Feline Five': An exploration of personality in pet cats (Felis catus). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183455. [PMID: 28832622 PMCID: PMC5568325 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The idea of animals possessing personalities was once dismissed by the scientific community, but has since gained traction with evidence for potential application to improve captive animal management and welfare. Although domestic cats are popular companion animals, research has tended to overlook the value of personality assessment for management and care of pet cats. The aim of this study was to investigate personality in a large sample of pet cats with a view to understanding practical implications for pet cats in the home. Personality of 2,802 pet cats, from South Australia and New Zealand, was rated by their owners utilising a survey measuring 52 personality traits. Five reliable personality factors were found using principal axis factor analysis: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Dominance, Impulsiveness and Agreeableness. Implications for the 'Feline Five' are discussed in relation to their potential application to improving the management and welfare of pet cats. Highly Impulsive cats for example, may be reacting to something stressful in their environment, whereas cats with low Agreeableness scores, showing irritability may indicate underlying pain or illness. Thus, the need for a systematic and holistic approach to personality that includes both the individual pet cat and its environment is recommended, and opens the door to future interdisciplinary intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla A. Litchfield
- Centre for Social Change, School of Psychology, Social Work & Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Gillian Quinton
- Centre for Social Change, School of Psychology, Social Work & Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Hayley Tindle
- Discovery Circle, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Belinda Chiera
- School of Information Technology and Mathematical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - K. Heidy Kikillus
- Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Philip Roetman
- Discovery Circle, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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29
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Braem M, Asher L, Furrer S, Lechner I, Würbel H, Melotti L. Development of the "Highly Sensitive Dog" questionnaire to evaluate the personality dimension "Sensory Processing Sensitivity" in dogs. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177616. [PMID: 28520773 PMCID: PMC5433715 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, the personality dimension 'sensory processing sensitivity (SPS)', also referred to as "high sensitivity", involves deeper processing of sensory information, which can be associated with physiological and behavioral overarousal. However, it has not been studied up to now whether this dimension also exists in other species. SPS can influence how people perceive the environment and how this affects them, thus a similar dimension in animals would be highly relevant with respect to animal welfare. We therefore explored whether SPS translates to dogs, one of the primary model species in personality research. A 32-item questionnaire to assess the "highly sensitive dog score" (HSD-s) was developed based on the "highly sensitive person" (HSP) questionnaire. A large-scale, international online survey was conducted, including the HSD questionnaire, as well as questions on fearfulness, neuroticism, "demographic" (e.g. dog sex, age, weight; age at adoption, etc.) and "human" factors (e.g. owner age, sex, profession, communication style, etc.), and the HSP questionnaire. Data were analyzed using linear mixed effect models with forward stepwise selection to test prediction of HSD-s by the above-mentioned factors, with country of residence and dog breed treated as random effects. A total of 3647 questionnaires were fully completed. HSD-, fearfulness, neuroticism and HSP-scores showed good internal consistencies, and HSD-s only moderately correlated with fearfulness and neuroticism scores, paralleling previous findings in humans. Intra- (N = 447) and inter-rater (N = 120) reliabilities were good. Demographic and human factors, including HSP score, explained only a small amount of the variance of HSD-s. A PCA analysis identified three subtraits of SPS, comparable to human findings. Overall, the measured personality dimension in dogs showed good internal consistency, partial independence from fearfulness and neuroticism, and good intra- and inter-rater reliability, indicating good construct validity of the HSD questionnaire. Human and demographic factors only marginally affected the HSD-s suggesting that, as hypothesized for human SPS, a genetic basis may underlie this dimension within the dog species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Braem
- Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Lucy Asher
- Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - Sibylle Furrer
- Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland
| | - Isabel Lechner
- Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland
| | - Hanno Würbel
- Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland
| | - Luca Melotti
- Division of Animal Welfare, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland
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30
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Ha D, Ha J. A subjective domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) temperament assessment results in six independent dimensions. Behav Processes 2017; 141:351-356. [PMID: 28341144 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The study of personality or temperament is well developed in many species, but in domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus) it has lagged behind. We applied one common methodology, subjective surveys, performed by their owners, to investigate the dimensions of cat temperament. To do this, we developed an eighteen question survey covering common behavioral traits of cats, and had the evaluators rank their cat on a seven point Likert scale for trait. The responses were analyzed with factor analysis, and resulted in six significant dimensions of temperament across the 251 surveys. The six dimensions, in order of importance, are: Cat Social, Active, Human Nonsocial, Human Aggressive, and Intense. Supplemental questions were also included in all the surveys, and MANOVA analysis of these showed that outdoor usage, feeding style (ad-lib vs. meal fed), living with other cats, sex, duration of ownership, and previous history as a stray all had effects on at least one of the dimensions of cat temperament. Future work is clearly needed to fully validate our model and to further investigate our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ha
- Animal Behavior Associates of Washington, PMB# 635, 4320 196th S.W. #B, Lynnwood, WA 98036-6754, USA.
| | - James Ha
- Animal Behavior Associates of Washington, PMB# 635, 4320 196th S.W. #B, Lynnwood, WA 98036-6754, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Washington, PO Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA.
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31
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Posluns JA, Anderson RE, Walsh CJ. Comparing two canine personality assessments: Convergence of the MCPQ-R and DPQ and consensus between dog owners and dog walkers. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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32
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Trigg J, Thompson K, Smith B, Bennett P. An Animal Just Like Me: The Importance of Preserving the Identities of Companion-Animal Owners in Disaster Contexts. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Trigg
- Appleton Institute for Behavioural Science; CQUniversity
| | | | - Bradley Smith
- Appleton Institute for Behavioural Science; CQUniversity
| | - Pauleen Bennett
- Department of Psychology and Counselling; La Trobe University
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