Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Spring 2021
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Experimental Psychology
Committee Chair
Megan Matheson
Second Committee Member
Mary Radeke
Third Committee Member
Jessica Mayhew
Abstract
Primatology is a multidisciplinary field primarily made up of anthropologists, biologists, psychologists, and those involved in conservation. Personality research regarding nonhuman primates is conducted by many different disciplines. The concept of personality encompasses many topics and belief systems, and the focus of nonhuman primate personality research often depends on the discipline of the investigators. In the modern age of scholarship, the dissemination of information across disciplines is paramount for the purposes of education, research collaboration, and general primate welfare. This study examined the current opinions of primatologists regarding nonhuman primate personality psychology. No significant relationship between the opinions and primary disciplines of primatologists was found. This indicates a healthy dissemination of knowledge related to nonhuman primate personality across primatology. A statistically significant relationship was found between the belief that dominance is a personality trait and that abnormal behavior is related to personality.
Recommended Citation
Aucoin, Courtney Dawn, "The Personality of Primates: Opinions of Contemporary Primatologists" (2021). All Master's Theses. 1508.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/1508