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The Transdisciplinary Philosophy-of-Science
Paradigm
for Research on Individuals (TPS-Paradigm)
Theoretical, metatheoretical and methodological
papers (TPS-Paradigm)
Empirical studies in nonhuman primates (great
apes, macaques, mandrills, capuchins)
Personality questionnaires for nonhuman
primates
Personality inventories for nonhuman
primate species
Theoretical and methodological background
All our personality inventories were developed by applying the
Behavioural Repertoire x Behavioural Situations Approach (BRxBS-Approach),
a methodological approach that allows for generating "personality"
constructs systematically on the basis of the existing scientific
literature about the behavioural repertoire of a study species unconcerned
with individual differences. For this reason, the constructs and
questionnaire items are much less colloquial than those used in
questionnaires derived from nominations or human personality inventories
(e.g., the Five Factor Model) most of which are rooted in human everyday
language. This meets efforts to reduce the impact of implicit meanings
contained in everyday language and of anthropomorphic biases.
Quality criteria
All our inventories have been systematically analysed for their quality
criteria, such as inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability. A
vital element is the detailed exploration of the ways in which assessments
obtained with our inventories are empirically related to comprehensive
behavioural measurements obtained in lab-based tests and group
observations.
Two different formats: Trait-adjective items and
behaviour-descriptive verb items
Most inventories are available in two different formats,
trait-adjective items and behaviour-descriptive verb items. Although
assessments on the two formats show substantial interrelations, thus
supporting their validity for capturing people's knowledge about the
individuals under study, their properties and relations to observable
behaviours are somewhat different. Details and findings about each given
inventory are provided in the respective publications of each inventory
(see below).
Interpretation of findings from
ratings
Any kinds of assessments - because they are based on memory - reflect
the knowledge, beliefs and opinions of the persons providing judgements
about an individual. But ratings cannot capture how the individuals that
are being assessed have actually behaved. Moreover,
assessments can generate only subjective quantifications that are
essentially different from the scientific quantifications that can be
obtained with observational methods. These points are often overlooked in
"personality" research. In our line of research, we have systematically
explored the differences of behavioural
observations versus assessments
- both
methodologically
and empirically.
Our studies demonstrated that people's judgements (e.g., of keepers,
students and researchers) about individuals of various primate species
show substantial coherence to observable individual behaviours. But
assessments also contain numerous biases that derive from the mental
processes of human impression formation. For example, by abstracting
information from many observations over time, people oversimplify the
complex patterns that can be observed in behaviour and therefore
overestimate the temporal stability and cross-situational consistency of
individuals' behaviour. Further biases seem to be related to stereotypical
beliefs, such as about differences between individuals of different age,
sex and social status (Uher & Asendorpf, 2008;
Uher & Visalberghi, 2016; Uher, Werner
& Gosselt, 2013).
Exploring the judgements of people who are well familiar with primate
individuals is nevertheless important and informative because people who
are dealing with primates on an everyday basis, such as caretakers and
researchers, successfully use their knowledge about primate individuals
for making decisions in captive management. Assessments provide easy and
quick tools to collect some first information about the knowledge and
impressions that some persons (e.g., keepers) have developed about an
individual on the basis of their previous experiences with that
individual.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for any questions and comments
you may have. We are happy to hear from you and your findings and to read
your publications.
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GAPI - Great Ape Personality Inventory
The GAPI is a standardised tool for assessments of captive Great
Ape individuals (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans). It
consists of 17 trait-adjective items and 34 behaviour-descriptive
verb items. Assessments are indicated on either a five-point
agreement scale (Likert scale) or a five-point frequency scale.
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Publications about the GAPI and relations of the assessments to
behavioural tests and observations
Publication about the 14 behavioural tests and 2 group observations
used for cross-method comparisons
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MPIc - Macaque Personality Inventory (for
captive individuals)
The MPIc is a standardised tool for assessments of captive macaque
individuals. It consists of 18 trait-adjective items and 30
behaviour-descriptive verb items. Assessments are indicated on a
five-point frequency scale.
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Publication about the MPIc and relations of the assessments to
behavioural observations
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CPI - Capuchin Personality Inventory
The CPI is a standardised tool for assessments of captive capuchin
monkey individuals. It consists of 21 trait-adjective items and 34
behaviour-descriptive verb items. Assessments are indicated on a
five-point frequency scale.
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Publication about the CPI and relations of the assessments to
behavioural observations
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Copyright notice
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