Time-specific convergence and divergence in individual differences in behavior: Theory, protocols and analyzes.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Ecology
• Psychology
• Physiology
• Ethology

Background:

• Theoreticians and empiricists propose that individual behavior differences change over time, leading to convergence or divergence.
• These patterns are often time-specific, not continuous, yet empirical documentation is limited due to unknown methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review hypotheses predicting time-specific convergence or divergence in individual behavior differences.
• To describe experimental designs and statistical methods for identifying when these patterns occur during longitudinal studies.

Main Methods:

• Review of influential hypotheses on behavioral convergence and divergence.
• Description of experimental designs and statistical methods for analyzing longitudinal behavioral data.
• Exploration of time-specific changes in individual differences.

Main Results:

• Identified influential hypotheses for behavioral convergence and divergence.
• Presented suitable experimental designs and statistical methods for empirical investigation.
• Provided a framework for understanding time-specific behavioral pattern emergence.

Conclusions:

• The study offers a framework to understand and analyze time-specific changes in individual behavior differences.
• It addresses the discrepancy between theoretical predictions and empirical findings on behavioral emergence.
• The concepts can be applied to alternating convergence/divergence patterns and other behavioral attributes.