Personality, cognition and behavior in chimpanzees: a new approach based on Eysenck's model

Area of Science:

• Primate Cognition
• Animal Behavior
• Comparative Psychology

Background:

• Personality variations influence cognitive task engagement and performance.
• The link between personality and cognition is understudied in animal research.
• Investigating personality in non-human primates offers insights into cognitive processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the association between personality traits and cognitive task performance in chimpanzees.
• To determine if Eysenck's Psychoticism-Extraversion-Neuroticism (PEN) model applies to chimpanzee personality.
• To assess how personality influences interest, motivation, and success in problem-solving tasks.

Main Methods:

• Assessed personality in 13 chimpanzees using a keeper-rated questionnaire based on Eysenck's PEN model.
• Correlated personality ratings with 11 years of behavioral observations.
• Measured cognitive task performance using puzzle boxes, analyzing participation, success, latency, and task disengagement.

Main Results:

• Lower Extraversion and Dominance correlated with higher success rates, particularly in females.
• Higher Neuropsychoticism predicted greater success in females but not males.
• Younger chimpanzees and those lower in Extraversion or higher in Dominance were more likely to disengage from tasks.

Conclusions:

• Eysenck's PEN model effectively describes chimpanzee personality.
• Personality significantly impacts cognitive task performance and motivation in chimpanzees.
• Incorporating personality assessment is vital for accurate interpretation of non-human primate cognitive research.