Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) personality predicts behavior

Forty-nine zoo-housed chimpanzees were rated on 43 adjectival personality descriptors. The descriptors were used to calculate values for six personality factors that had been previously determined. The six factors included Dominance, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Dependability, Emotionality, and Openness. Frequencies of 25 specific behaviors were independently recorded. The behaviors were categorized into five social contexts: Agonistic, Submissive, Affinitive, Solitary, and Public Orientation. Agonistic context behaviors were positively associated with Dominance and Emotionality, and negatively associated with Agreeableness and Dependability. Extraversion was positively associated with Affinitive context behaviors and negatively associated with Public Orientation. The pattern of significant and nonsignificant personality-behavior correlations was largely consistent with the construct validity of the personality factors.