Personlighet och fysiologisk profil hos djur : en komparativ studie

Abstract: Personality can be defined as the characteristics of individuals who describe and account for the consistent patterns of feeling, thinking and behavior. The use of an individual's physiological profile associated with personality assessment could give the assessment greater precision because the physiological variables can be considered as more objective. Combining behavioural and physiological measurements may provide greater possibilities of success in selection of individuals for breeding or for specific purposes, such as working dogs. Stress affects the physiology of the individual and usually increases concentrations of hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Depending on the type of personality, the physiological change varies and this has impact on which coping strategy the individual use, and the individuals capacity to handle different stress situations. Cortisol has in some studies been shown to be correlated to the individual's social skills. Testosterone and serotonin concentrations have been shown to have relevance for traits like aggression. However, there are difficulties surrounding the measurement of above-mentioned hormones and personality. The valuation of the personality is sometimes subjective and many properties are referred to different terms that may confuse. Hormones surveyed are affected by both internal and external factors, which could make the results difficult to interpret. The review of literature shows that there are relationships between an individual's physiological profile and its ability to lead, level of aggression, social skills, and ways to deal with stressors. The personality may thus be partly shaped by the individual's physiological profile.