Objective Behavioral Tests of Temperament in Nonhuman Primates

Abstract

Objective behavioral tests can be useful tools in studies of the causes and consequences of individual differences in the temperament of nonhuman primates. This chapter begins by presenting guidelines for designing effective behavioral tests to produce valid and reliable measures of trait-like individual differences. It follows with a review of several well-characterized procedures for measuring individual differences in nonhuman primates on dimensions of neonatal temperament, anxiety, novelty seeking and impulsivity. Key points that emerge from this review include the value of establishing the test–retest reliability of traits, the importance of context for interpreting behavioral results, and the need for greater attention to specifying and validating the connection between the behavioral measures and the temperament constructs of interest. Attention to these features will enhance our ability to identify genetic, physiological and environmental causes of individual differences in temperament, and the influence of temperament on outcomes of interest in biology, psychology and psychiatry.