Capuchin monkeys with similar personalities have higher-quality relationships independent of age, sex, kinship and rank

Abstract

Social relationships vary in content, quality and patterning. Most researchers focus on whether and how nondispositional factors, including age, sex, kinship and rank, predict variance in the content, quality and patterning of relationships. However, within a species, these factors do not always predict partner choice. We examined whether similarity in any of five personality traits, Assertiveness, Openness, Neuroticism, Sociability and Attentiveness, independently contributed to variation in the affiliative and agonistic relationships of pairs of brown capuchin monkeys, Sapajus sp. Capuchins that were more similar in Neuroticism had higher affiliative relationship scores, while capuchins that were more similar in Sociability shared overall higher-quality relationships (i.e. the difference between the dyad's affiliative and agonistic scores). These effects were independent of age, sex, kinship and rank, suggesting that certain aspects of the psychology of these animals may contribute uniquely to the quality of their social relationships

Temperament, age and weather predict social interaction in the sheep flock

“…Rather sheep with a similar reaction during isolation were more likely to spend time together; reflecting a preference for increased social interactions between sheep with a similar reaction during isolation. A number of studies in non-human species demonstrate that personality factors affect social relationships, with animals with common personality dimensions having stronger social bonds (capuchin monkeys Morton et al 2015; eastern bluebirds Harris and Siefferman 2014).…”

“…As identified by Morton et al (2015), most of what is known about the effects of personality on sociality comes from studies of affiliative behaviour, particularly reproductivelyinfluenced connections and/or human-based. Of the limited data that exists for sheep, previous research has shown that boldness affects grazing behaviour, with bolder animals being more willing to venture from the flock (Michelena et al 2009).…”

Personality homophily affects male social bonding in wild Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis)

“…Personality homophily has been found in human spouses (e.g., Byrne, 1997; Klohnen & Luo, 2003; Youyou, Stillwell, Schwartz, & Kosinski, 2017) and improves reproductive success in monogamous rodents, birds, and fish (Ariyomo & Watt, 2013; Dingemanse, Both, Drent, & Tinbergen, 2004; Gabriel & Black, 2012; Rangassamy, Dalmas, Féron, Gouat, & Rödel, 2015; Schuett, Dall, & Royle, 2011). Similarity in certain personality traits is associated with the strength of social bonds in chimpanzees (Massen & Koski, 2014), higher-quality relationships in capuchin monkeys (Morton, Weiss, Buchanan-Smith, & Lee, 2015), relationship stability from one year to the next in juvenile rhesus macaques (Weinstein & Capitanio, 2012) and pairing-success of adult rhesus macaques in a laboratory setting (Capitanio, Blozis, Snarr, Steward, & McCowan, 2015). Beyond dyadic relationships, group-level similarity in personality traits facilitates cooperation among all group members in cooperative-breeding common marmosets (Koski & Burkart, 2015).…”

Personalities, social patterns, and reproductive success in female eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus)

“…Similarity in temperament of pairs of infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) predicted their affiliative relationships as yearlings, even after sex, kinship and rank were considered (Weinstein and Capitanio 2008). Individual captive brown capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) with similar observer ratings on the neuroticism and sociability personality dimensions were more affiliative and had higher quality relationships, respectively, with one another than did pairs with less similar personalities (Morton et al 2015). In free-ranging horses (Equus ferus caballus), individuals associated more strongly with conspecifics who had similar boldness scores to them (Briard et al 2015).…”

“…Morton et al 2015). Furthermore, breeding partners with similar personalities can have higher reproductive success than those with dissimilar personalities (Schuett et al 2011;Rangassamy et al 2015).…”