Meta-analysis reveals weak associations between intrinsic state and personality.

ABSTRACT: Individual differences in behaviour characterize humans and animals alike. A hot field in behavioural ecology asks why this variation in 'personality' evolved. Theory posits that selection favours the integration of 'intrinsic state' and behaviour. Metabolism, hormones, energetic reserves and structural size have particularly been proposed as states covarying with behaviour among-individuals, either genetically or through plasticity integration. We conducted a meta-analysis estimating the amount of among-individual variation in behaviour attributable to variation in state. Our literature search showed that only 22% of the studies claiming to estimate individual-level associations between state and behaviour actually did so. Our meta-analysis revealed that relatively aggressive, bold, explo

SUBMITTER: Niemela PT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5832713 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature