Summary:
This article is about recent research conducted by Deakin University that has found consistent differences in animal behavior giving them a “personality.” The study was conducted on adult male Mosquitofish over 132 days. The study found that while the animals differed in the levels of their activity, they also varied in the type of activity that they were doing. The researchers did not find any association between activity levels and predictability. This means that the fish differed in how unpredictable they were and that unpredictability is an attribute of the fish overtime. The researchers believe that this unpredictability can be used by animals to dismay predators; some believe that this unpredictability trait is a sign of free will. What causes unpredictable behavior?
In humans unpredictable behavior can relate to diseases such as dementia. People with dementia can show spontaneous aggression and shout aloud in response to something they don’t like. Dementia can cause rapid mood changes and as such can cause unpredictable behavior. In animals more specifically dogs have similar reasons for unpredictable behavior. One reason for this unpredictable behavior is separation anxiety of which 14% of dogs are reported to have; being left alone for only 15 minutes can lead to behavior ranging from house soiling to restlessness. This anxiety can cause a lot of attraction to the owner and dogs may exhibit exaggerated behavior.
Why is this article interesting?
This article is interesting as it shows how close of a relationship there is between animals and humans that we exhibit similar characteristics. These similar characteristics allow unpredictability in both humans and