Personality test for dogsPet project may to help unravel the
biological basis of character.
20 January 2004
HELEN
R. PILCHER
 |
| Personalities within
breeds vary widely. |
| ©
GettyImages | | |
A test that can assess a dog's personality has helped
to prove what pet owners know, but many psychologists
deny: pooches have personality. The test, developed by
Sam Gosling from the University of Texas at Austin and
his colleagues, may help researchers to unravel the
biology of animal and human character.
Scientists readily accept that animals and humans
share a similar anatomy and physiology, says Gosling,
but many are reluctant to say that they share the traits
of emotion and personality too. "Some see it as one more
blow against the special status of humans," he says.
Instead, many people believe that pet owners project
their own personality onto their animals, and that true
character is lacking.
But personality traits are just as likely to have
evolved in animals as physical traits, argues Gosling.
What was needed was a test to prove that canine
character exists.
Gosling asked dog owners to rate their pet on four
different personality traits. The traits, which are also
found in humans, have positive and negative extremes -
for example, dogs could be rated as energetic, slothful
or somewhere in between. The other traits were
affection-aggression, anxiety-calmness and
intelligence-stupidity.
Strangers then watched the animals perform tasks in a
local park, and rated them on the same characteristics.
Anxiety, for example, was assessed from the dog's
reaction as it watched its owner walk away with another
hound. The ability to retrieve a hidden treat from under
a cup was used as a measure of intelligence.
In total, 78 dogs of all shapes and sizes were
tested. In general, owners and strangers agreed on an
individual dog's personality. This suggests that the dog
personalities are real, says Gosling.
The study also provides good news for victims of
canine stereotyping, as it shows that personalities vary
widely within a breed - not all pit bulls are
aggressive, for example, nor are all golden retrievers
very affectionate.
Running in the family
Gosling chose to study dogs because they are a common
pet, and because they naturally engage in a wide range
of behaviour, but he says that a modified version of his
test should work on other species such as lab rats and
mice.
Personality is a complex mix of genetic and
environmental factors. Genetically modified mice could
help researchers work out which aspects of personality
run in families. "This may help us to understand the
biological and genetic basis of personality," says
Jonathan Flint at the University of Oxford, UK, who
studies the genetics and neurobiology of complex
traits.
|
This may help us understand the
biological and genetic basis of
personality |
|
Jonathan Flint
Oxford
University | | |
Animal behaviourist John Bradshaw at the University
of Bristol, UK, says that Gosling's test is thorough,
but cautions that it relies on subjective definitions of
personality traits. "Different people may have different
definitions of 'shy', for example," he says.
More objective tests, such as timing how long it
takes an animal to recover after being frightened, may
provide a more accurate measure of personality traits,
he says. Such methods do exist, although they are time
consuming, says Gosling. No one has yet linked together
such objective tests to form a complex analysis of
animal personality. | 
