Consistent between-individual differences in behaviour (termed “animal personality”) may be driven by adaptive differences in behavioural and physiological life-history traits. The Pace of Life Syndrome (POLS) hypothesis predicts a suit of correlations between those life-history traits along a fast-slow continuum. Therefore, according to the POLS, individuals that are fast-paced would be bolder, more explorative, show high growth-rates, lower immunity and a higher metabolic rate. A mechanistic link between such traits could also explain variation in cognitive traits, where bold individuals are faster at a given task but pay less attention to external cues and therefore make decisions less accurately. Here, I tested the POLS hypothesis focusing on between and within-individual variance in boldness, metabolic rate (MR), cognitive performance (as decision-making performance) and exploration in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus. In addition, I also investigated the potential role of anthropogenic disturbances (constant light exposure) as a driver of between and within-individual variation in boldness. Hermit crabs demonstrated consistent between-individual differences in boldness and exploration, providing evidence for the presence of animal personality. However, variation between individuals in boldness, exploration and cognitive performance were not underpinned by variation in MR. Although there were no between-individual correlations among MR and behaviour, MR did co-vary with within-individual variance in boldness. My results indicate that less predictable hermit crabs, on average, have a higher MR during startle responses compared with those that are relatively consistent in their behaviour. Boldness was positively correlated with exploration rate, indicating that more explorative were also bolder, as well as cognitive performance, as bold individuals had a better performance than shy. Finally, constant light exposure is likely to modify hermit crab personality and physiology. Hermit crabs kept under a constant light regime were less bold and had a higher metabolic rate, than when kept under standard light and dark regime, indicating possible effects light pollution in this species. These results only partially support the POLS hypothesis.

The study of cat personality and behaviour can help minimize potential problems in the relationship between cats and their tutors and decrease relinquishment or maltreatment. Personality in animals is a promising area dedicated to studying characteristics of individuals that describe and account for temporally stable patterns of affection, cognition and behaviour traits. In general, people adopt cats according to their appearance, age or sex. Personality assessments can promote successful adoptions by identifying ideal animals for potential tutors. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has implemented a program called Meet Your Match® (MYM) which assesses the personality of shelter cats and the life style of adopters. With a better match between cat and tutor, the rate of animals being returned to shelters tend to decrease and cats welfare and adaptation in new homes tend to improve. To evaluate physiological stress and personality dimension, faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) levels were measured and a modified MYM protocol was applied in two localities: a shelter and the tutors home. Our main goals were: 1) verifying the validity of personality dimensions used in a modified MYM assessment in a Brazilian cat shelter sample through an exploratory study of the psychometric properties of the protocol, as well as an exploratory factor and a cluster analysis; 2) verifying the correlation between personality and faecal cortisol levels; 3) checking if MYM assessment is consistent through change of localities; and 4) finding out how moving from the shelter to the tutors home affects faecal cortisol metabolites levels. We found evidence of validity of the modified MYM assessment based on internal structure to personality dimensions in this sample, although it presented a factorial structure that differs from the original assessment. No correlation was found between personality dimensions and FCM levels, corroborating the literature. There was a slight decrease of FCM levels in homes, but most subjects maintained their FCM levels, showing that cats can cope with stress in both environments the shelters and the tutors home. MYM personality assessment was consistent throughout the change of localities, which indicates that it is a good instrument to assess cat personality / O estudo sobre comportamento e personalidade dos gatos pode ajudar a minimizar possíveis problemas na relação entre gatos e seus tutores e diminuir o abandono e os maus tratos. A personalidade em animais é uma área promissora, que estuda características dos indivíduos que descrevem e representam padrões temporais estáveis de afeto, cognição e comportamento. Em geral, as pessoas adotam um gato de acordo com a aparência, idade ou sexo do animal. As avaliações de personalidade podem promover adoções bem-sucedidas, identificando animais ideais para potenciais tutores. A American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) implementou um programa chamado Meet Your Match® (MYM), que avalia a personalidade dos gatos e o estilo de vida de futuros tutores. Com uma melhor combinação entre gato e tutor, a taxa de devolução desses animais para abrigos pode diminuir e o bem-estar e a adaptação em novas residências tendem a melhorar. Para avaliar o estresse fisiológico e as dimensões da personalidade, metabólitos fecais de cortisol (MFC) foram medidos e a avaliação MYM foi aplicada em duas localidades: um abrigo e a residência do tutor. Nossos principais objetivos foram: 1) verificar a validade das dimensões de personalidade utilizadas na avaliação do MYM em uma amostra de abrigo brasileiro, por meio de um estudo exploratório das propriedades psicométricas do protocolo, uma análise de fator exploratório e uma análise de cluster; 2) verificar a correlação entre os tipos de personalidade e o cortisol fecal; 3) verificar se a avaliação do MYM foi consistente após mudança de localidades (abrigo e casa); e 4) verificar como a mudança do abrigo para a casa do tutor afeta os níveis de cortisol fecal. Encontramos evidências de validade da avaliação MYM modificada, baseadas na estrutura interna das dimensões da personalidade nesta amostra, embora a estrutura fatorial tenha sido diferente da avaliação original. Não foi encontrada correlação entre as dimensões de personalidade e os níveis de MFC, corroborando a literatura. Houve uma discreta diminuição dos níveis de MFC nas casas, mas a maioria dos indivíduos manteve seus níveis de MFC, mostrando que os gatos lidam bem com o estresse nos dois ambientes o abrigo e a casa do tutor. A avaliação de personalidade do MYM foi consistente na mudança de localidades, o que indica que ela é um bom instrumento para avaliar a personalidade de gatos

This thesis explores the impact of mentor and mentee personality type in formal mentoring relationships. The research sought to identify whether there were individual personality characteristics which impact on relationship dynamics and the learning derived from these relationships. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was used to identify personality type thus ensuring that the research had practical utility in organisations. Twelve mentoring dyads from public, private and third sector mentoring initiatives participated in the study which adopted an exploratory and qualitative methodology. Multiple methods were used to collect data and an analysis framework was developed, using Activity Theory tenets, to synthesise the different data sets and create narratives of each mentoring relationship. The thesis argues that by enhancing understanding of Type Theory in mentoring relationships, informal learning can be enhanced for mentors and mentees. The research shows how informal learning within mentoring dyads often stems from social comparison and thus differences between mentor and mentee can provide a medium for learning in the workplace. The findings suggest that this will be particularly pertinent for mentors. In addition, the study conclusions highlight the value of using the MBTI to support mentoring relationship development thus enhancing the potential for further learning. The research finds that individual differences will determine the extent to which relationships operate on a traditional, peer or reverse level and not demographic differences as suggested in the extant literature. Furthermore, common personality preferences were identified in individuals who are drawn to the role of mentor and an initial framework for a typology of mentoring relationships was developed. There were two main limitations of the research. First, the study employed a cross-sectional design which resulted in data being collected from participants at different stages of the mentoring relationship. The second limitation concerned the small sample size. Whilst sample size is less relevant in qualitative research, the study sample cannot be considered representative of all formal mentoring programmes or even the programmes studied. The intention was to identify informative cases which would address the research objectives and this was subsequently achieved. The research has contributed to the body of mentoring knowledge by drawing theory from one academic field into another. The findings provide new insights into individual differences and mentoring relationship dynamics thus adding to a sparse area of knowledge in mentoring research. Further, the findings challenge some of the assumptions implicit in the extant literature and highlight the need to examine the construct of mentoring from a broader social science perspective.

The study of cat personality and behaviour can help minimize potential problems in the relationship between cats and their tutors and decrease relinquishment or maltreatment. Personality in animals is a promising area dedicated to studying characteristics of individuals that describe and account for temporally stable patterns of affection, cognition and behaviour traits. In general, people adopt cats according to their appearance, age or sex. Personality assessments can promote successful adoptions by identifying ideal animals for potential tutors. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has implemented a program called Meet Your Match® (MYM) which assesses the personality of shelter cats and the life style of adopters. With a better match between cat and tutor, the rate of animals being returned to shelters tend to decrease and cats welfare and adaptation in new homes tend to improve. To evaluate physiological stress and personality dimension, faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) levels were measured and a modified MYM protocol was applied in two localities: a shelter and the tutors home. Our main goals were: 1) verifying the validity of personality dimensions used in a modified MYM assessment in a Brazilian cat shelter sample through an exploratory study of the psychometric properties of the protocol, as well as an exploratory factor and a cluster analysis; 2) verifying the correlation between personality and faecal cortisol levels; 3) checking if MYM assessment is consistent through change of localities; and 4) finding out how moving from the shelter to the tutors home affects faecal cortisol metabolites levels. We found evidence of validity of the modified MYM assessment based on internal structure to personality dimensions in this sample, although it presented a factorial structure that differs from the original assessment. No correlation was found between personality dimensions and FCM levels, corroborating the literature. There was a slight decrease of FCM levels in homes, but most subjects maintained their FCM levels, showing that cats can cope with stress in both environments the shelters and the tutors home. MYM personality assessment was consistent throughout the change of localities, which indicates that it is a good instrument to assess cat personality / O estudo sobre comportamento e personalidade dos gatos pode ajudar a minimizar possíveis problemas na relação entre gatos e seus tutores e diminuir o abandono e os maus tratos. A personalidade em animais é uma área promissora, que estuda características dos indivíduos que descrevem e representam padrões temporais estáveis de afeto, cognição e comportamento. Em geral, as pessoas adotam um gato de acordo com a aparência, idade ou sexo do animal. As avaliações de personalidade podem promover adoções bem-sucedidas, identificando animais ideais para potenciais tutores. A American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) implementou um programa chamado Meet Your Match® (MYM), que avalia a personalidade dos gatos e o estilo de vida de futuros tutores. Com uma melhor combinação entre gato e tutor, a taxa de devolução desses animais para abrigos pode diminuir e o bem-estar e a adaptação em novas residências tendem a melhorar. Para avaliar o estresse fisiológico e as dimensões da personalidade, metabólitos fecais de cortisol (MFC) foram medidos e a avaliação MYM foi aplicada em duas localidades: um abrigo e a residência do tutor. Nossos principais objetivos foram: 1) verificar a validade das dimensões de personalidade utilizadas na avaliação do MYM em uma amostra de abrigo brasileiro, por meio de um estudo exploratório das propriedades psicométricas do protocolo, uma análise de fator exploratório e uma análise de cluster; 2) verificar a correlação entre os tipos de personalidade e o cortisol fecal; 3) verificar se a avaliação do MYM foi consistente após mudança de localidades (abrigo e casa); e 4) verificar como a mudança do abrigo para a casa do tutor afeta os níveis de cortisol fecal. Encontramos evidências de validade da avaliação MYM modificada, baseadas na estrutura interna das dimensões da personalidade nesta amostra, embora a estrutura fatorial tenha sido diferente da avaliação original. Não foi encontrada correlação entre as dimensões de personalidade e os níveis de MFC, corroborando a literatura. Houve uma discreta diminuição dos níveis de MFC nas casas, mas a maioria dos indivíduos manteve seus níveis de MFC, mostrando que os gatos lidam bem com o estresse nos dois ambientes o abrigo e a casa do tutor. A avaliação de personalidade do MYM foi consistente na mudança de localidades, o que indica que ela é um bom instrumento para avaliar a personalidade de gatos

O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar a associação da trajetória e do nível de estabilização ao final da fase de estabilização no desempenho da fase de adaptação. Participaram do experimento cem sujeitos de ambos os sexos, entre 10 e 12 anos de idade. Os sujeitos realizaram uma tarefa seriada de rastreamento de sinais luminosos. O experimento constou de duas fases: estabilização (120 tentativas) e adaptação (40 tentativas). Para a fase de estabilização foi utilizada uma sequência de 5 estímulos (4-2-5-3-1) com intervalo de 800 ms entre os mesmos. Para a fase de adaptação foram alterados: o intervalo entre os estímulos (700 ms) e a ordem dos estímulos (4-2-5-1-3). As variáveis do estudo foram: a) nível de estabilização alcançado ao final da fase de estabilização, b) trajetória do desempenho individual na fase de estabilização, e c) trajetória do desempenho individual na fase de adaptação. As análises estatísticas constaram de: análise de variância não paramétrica de Friedman - para detectar as diferenças no desempenho entre os blocos de tentativas; análise de cluster - para agregar os sujeitos com desempenho semelhante tanto na fase de estabilização (final e trajetória) quanto de adaptação (trajetória); análise de correlação por meio do coeficiente de contingência - para analisar a relação entre o desempenho na adaptação e os níveis de estabilização (final e trajetória). A análise com todos os sujeitos indicou: a) melhora do desempenho a partir de 50 tentativas de prática e manutenção do novo nível de desempenho ao longo da fase de estabilização e b) com a modificação na tarefa o desempenho diminuiu, mas voltou aos mesmos patamares do final da estabilização após 30 tentativas. A partir da análise de cluster os participantes foram agrupados em 6 subgrupos para o nível de estabilização final (CO-C; 1AO; 1A-2AO; 2A-3AO; 3A; 4A-5A) e 2 subgrupos para as trajetórias ao longo da fase de estabilização (C-1A; 1A-5A). Os níveis de estabilização final e da trajetória ao longo da estabilização apresentaram-se associados ao desempenho da fase de adaptação. Mais especificamente, foi observado que o subgrupo com trajetórias apenas com respostas corretas ao longo da fase de estabilização manteve o mesmo nível de desempenho na fase de adaptação. No subgrupo com trajetórias com respostas antecipatórias ao longo da fase de estabilização, 60% dos sujeitos mantiveram o mesmo nível de desempenho na fase de adaptação e os demais apresentaram trajetórias com respostas predominantemente corretas. Além disso, considerando o nível de estabilização ao final da fase de estabilização, os resultados permitiram discutir que é necessário alcançar pelo menos três respostas antecipatórias na sequência para apresentar respostas antecipatórias na adaptação, pois os subgrupos com menos de 3RA na composição das suas sequências apresentaram apenas respostas corretas na adaptação. Com base nestes resultados, pode-se inferir que parte da heterogeneidade do desempenho apresentado na fase de adaptação esta associado às diferenças individuais, visto que sujeitos submetidos ao mesmo regime de prática apresentaram comportamentos díspares ao longo da fase de estabilização e adaptação / The present study aimed to investigate the association of the trajectory and the level stabilization at the end of the stabilization phase on the performance of the adaptation phase. A hundred subjects of both gender, between 10 and 12 years old, participated in the experiment. Subjects performed a serial tracking task light signals. The experiment consisted of two phases: stabilization (120 trials) and adaptation (40 trials). For the stabilization phase a 5 stimulus sequence (4-2-5-3-1) with an interval of 800 ms between them. For the adaptation phase were changed: the interval between stimulus (700 ms) and order of stimulus (4-2-5-1-3). The variables of the study were: a) stabilization level reached at the end of the stabilization phase, b) trajectory of individual performance in the stabilization phase. These variables were based on results in the stabilization phase. Statistical analyzes consisted of: non-parametric analysis of variance Friedman - to detect differences in performance between blocks of trials, cluster analysis - to aggregate the subjects with similar performance both in the stabilization phase (final and trajectory) and adaptation (trajectory); correlation analysis through contingency coefficient - to examine the relationship between performance in adaptation and the stabilization levels (final and trajectory). The analysis with all subjects showed: a) performance improvement from 50 trials of practice and maintain the new level of performance throughout the stabilization phase and b) with changes in the task performance decreased, but returned to the same levels as the end of the stabilization after 30 attempts. From the cluster analysis participants were grouped into 6 subgroups for final stabilization level (CO-C; 1AO; 1A-2AO; 3AO-2A, 3A, 4A, 5A), and 2 subgroups for trajectories along the stabilization phase (C-1A, 1A-5A). Final stabilization level and trajectory along the stabilization presented themselves associated with the performance in the adaptation phase. More specifically, it was observed that the subgroup trajectory with only correct answers along the stabilization phase showed no change in performance in adaptation phase. In the subgroup trajectories with only anticipatory answers along the stabilization phase, maintained the same level of performance in the adaptation phase and the others presented trajectories with correct answers. Moreover, considering the level of stabilization at the end of the stabilization phase, the results allowed to discuss that is needed to achieve at least three anticipatory responses in the sequence to display anticipatory responses in adaptation, because the subgroups under 3RA in the composition of their sequences showed only correct responses in adaptation. Based on these results, can be inferred that some of the heterogeneity of performance presented in the adaptation phase is associated with the individual differences, whereas subjects submitted to the same practice regimen showed disparate behaviors during the stabilization and adaptation phase

abstract: In the daily life of an individual problems of varying difficulty are encountered. Each problem may include a different number of constraints placed upon the problem solver. One type of problem commonly used in research are multiply-constrained problems, such as the compound remote associates. Since their development they have been related to creativity and insight. Moreover, research has been conducted to determine the cognitive abilities underlying problem solving abilities. We sought to fully evaluate the range of cognitive abilities (i.e., working memory, episodic and semantic memory, and fluid and crystallized intelligence) linked to multiply-constrained problem solving. Additionally, we sought to determine whether problem solving ability and strategies (analytical or insightful) were task specific or domain general through the use of novel problem solving tasks (TriBond and Location Bond). Results indicated that multiply-constrained problem solving abilities were domain general, solutions derived through insightful strategies were more often correct than analytical, and crystallized intelligence was the only cognitive ability that provided unique predictive value. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2019

Statistical learning experiments have demonstrated that children and infants are sensitive to the types of statistical regularities found in natural language. These experiments often rely on statistical information based on linear dependencies, e.g. that x predicts y either immediately or after some intervening items, whereas learning to creatively use language relies on the ability to form grammatical categories (e.g. verbs, nouns) that share distributions. Distributional learning has not been explored in children or in individuals with developmental language disorder. Proposed statistical learning deficits in individuals with developmental language delay (DLD) are thought to have downstream effects related to poorer comprehension, but this relationship has not been experimentally shown. In this project, children and adults with and without DLD and their same-age typically developing (TD) peers complete an artificial grammar learning task that employs a made-up language and an online comprehension task that employs real language. In the artificial grammar learning task, participants are tested to determine if they have learned the statistical regularities of trained stimuli and formed categories based upon these regularities. We hypothesize that if individuals with DLD have difficulty utilizing distributional information from novel input, then they will show less evidence of forming new categories than TD peers. Our second hypothesis is that if regularities are learned based on experience, then adults and children will show similar learning because they will have the same exposure to the artificial language. In the online comprehension task, participants use a computer mouse to choose a preferred interpretation of a sentence that is ambiguous, but that most adults interpret a certain way due to linguistic experience. We hypothesize that if individuals with DLD have overall poorer linguistic experience compared to TD individuals, then they will show weaker effects of biases than peers. Finally, we use measurements from both tasks to verify correlation between them, for the additional goal of showing that language comprehension and statistical learning are related. This study provides information about differences between individuals with DLD and their TD peers and between adults and children in the ability to use distributional information from both accumulated and novel input. To this end, we reveal the role of input and experience in using distributional information in linguistic environments.

The overall aim of this current research was to investigate effects of individual differences and task demand on co-speech gestures in communication. Specifically, we examined whether gesture use affected speakers' information content, and whether individual differences in working memory (WM) profiles and lexical retrieval, and task demand could account for variability in gesture use. Forty-four speaker-listener pairs of Mandarin-speaking adults participated in a video description task. The speaker watched and described motion event videos to the listener, who had two options to choose from. The speaker's descriptions were transcribed and coded for motion element type (manner, path, source, goal, and trajectory), modality use (speech vs. gesture), gesture type (deictic vs. iconic), gestures' relation to speech (complementary vs. supplementary), and information type carried by gesture (spatial vs. semantic). A WM profile/discrepancy was measured by a difference between visuo-spatial and verbal working memory using Automated Working Memory Asessment (Alloway, 2007). Lexical retrieval was measured using a semantic fluency task (naming `animals' or `foods' in a one-minute interval). Task demand was manipulated by changing number of motion elements to be described in each video, ranging from two to four. The results of an ANOVA showed that speakers did not include more information when they chose to gesture, although they sometimes used supplementary gestures that carried information absent from speech. However, a series of mixed model regression analyses showed that spatial complementary gestures decreased with task demand, whereas spatial supplementary gestures increased with task demand. Also, Individual differences in WM discrepancy and spatial WM capacity, not lexical retrieval, predicted production of semantic supplementary gestures. The interaction between task demand and WM discrepancy predicted spatial complementary gestures. Also, the interaction between task demand and WM discrepancy predicted semantic supplementary gestures. Most importantly, we found that verbal dominant speakers produced fewer spatial complementary gestures when task demand was high, whereas spatial dominant speakers used these gestures similarly across task demands. Also, spatial dominant speakers tended to use more semantic supplementary gestures than verbal dominant speakers when task demand was low, but no such differences were found when task demand was high. Taken together, our findings reveal that individuals' gesture production is a complex process, in which speaker-internal factors, such as WM, and speaker-external factors, such as task demand, and even interactions between the two factors could play a role. Given that communication is dynamic and complex, instead of restricting to one factor at a time, we may need to expand our scope to more influencing factors and their interactions to fully understand the underlying mechanism of multi-modal communication.

Linear mixed models (LMMs) provide a still underused methodological perspective on combining experimental and individual-differences research. Here we illustrate this approach with two-rectangle cueing in visual attention (Egly et al., 1994). We replicated previous experimental cue-validity effects relating to a spatial shift of attention within an object (spatial effect), to attention switch between objects (object effect), and to the attraction of attention toward the display centroid (attraction effect), also taking into account the design-inherent imbalance of valid and other trials. We simultaneously estimated variance/covariance components of subject-related random effects for these spatial, object, and attraction effects in addition to their mean reaction times (RTs). The spatial effect showed a strong positive correlation with mean RT and a strong negative correlation with the attraction effect. The analysis of individual differences suggests that slow subjects engage attention more strongly at the cued location than fast subjects. We compare this joint LMM analysis of experimental effects and associated subject-related variances and correlations with two frequently used alternative statistical procedures

The past two decades have seen a substantial increase in the availability of numerical data that individuals are faced with on a daily basis. In addition, research uncovering the multiple facets of statistical reasoning has become increasingly prominent. Both gender differences and the effect of experience or training have emerged as two key factors that influence performance in statistics. Surprisingly, though, the combined effects of these two variables have not been studied. This gap in understanding the joint effect of gender and experience on statistical reasoning is addressed in the present dissertation with six studies. In Study 1 (N = 201), participants with various levels of experience in statistics were asked to complete the Statistical Reasoning Assessment (SRA; Garfield, 2003). Although the performance of both genders improved with experience, the gender gap persisted across all experience levels. Multiple measures of individual differences were used in a confirmatory structural equation model. This model supported the idea that differences in statistical reasoning are not uniquely a matter of cognitive ability. In fact, gender was found to influence statistical reasoning directly, as well as indirectly through its influence on thinking dispositions. In Studies 2 (N = 67), 3 (N = 157), and 4 (N = 206), the role of stereotype threat was examined as a potential cause of the persisting gender gap in statistics, and value affirmation was tested as an intervention to overcome stereotype threat. Despite the fact that many women believed negative stereotypes about the ability of women in statistics, value affirmation had no significant impact on performance. To help explain this lack of effect, and in keeping with the results of the structural equation model suggesting a multi-pronged approach, efforts were turned towards a different (and potentially richer) cognitive factor. Specifically, mental representations were explored to help shed light on the root causes of those conceptual understanding differences in statistics. In Studies 5 and 6, gender differences in mental representations of statistical features were examined using a categorization paradigm. In Study 5 (N = 219), extending some of the key findings in Studies 1, 3 and 4, it was established that two courses in statistics are necessary to create a significant difference in the quality of mental representations of statistical concepts. More importantly, Study 6 (N = 208) demonstrated how constraining the task format particularly benefits women in that the quality of their reasoning significantly improved, where that of men was equal across tasks. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.