Coping styles and behavioural flexibility: Towards underlying mechanisms (2024)

Coppens, C. M., de Boer, S. F., & Koolhaas, J. M. (2010). Coping styles and behavioural flexibility: Towards underlying mechanisms. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 365(1560), 4021-4028. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0217

Coppens, Caroline M ; de Boer, Sietse F ; Koolhaas, Jaap M. / Coping styles and behavioural flexibility : Towards underlying mechanisms. In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 2010 ; Vol. 365, No. 1560. pp. 4021-4028.

@article{96284cf7ed6e4f62aaf3ea3567abee6f,

title = "Coping styles and behavioural flexibility: Towards underlying mechanisms",

abstract = "A coping style (also termed behavioural syndrome or personality) is defined as a correlated set of individual behavioural and physiological characteristics that is consistent over time and across situations. This relatively stable trait is a fundamental and adaptively significant phenomenon in the biology of a broad range of species, i.e. it confers differential fitness consequences under divergent environmental conditions. Behavioural flexibility appears to be an important underlying attribute or feature of the coping style that might explain consistency across situations. Proactive coping is characterized by low flexibility expressed as rather rigid, routine-like behavioural tendencies and reduced impulse control (behavioural inhibition) in operant conditioning paradigms. This article summarizes some of the evidence that individual differentiation in behavioural flexibility emerges as a function of underlying variability in the activation of a brain circuitry that includes the prefrontal cortex and its key neurochemical signalling pathways (e.g. dopaminergic and serotonergic input). We argue that the multidimensional nature of animal personality and the terminology used for the various dimensions should reflect the differential pattern of activation of the underlying neuronal network and the behavioural control function of its components. Accordingly, unravelling the molecular mechanisms that give rise to individual differences in the coping style will be an important topic in biobehavioural neurosciences, ecology and evolutionary biology.",

keywords = "Adaptation, Psychological, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Behavioral Research, Models, Neurological, Models, Psychological, Personality, Prefrontal Cortex, Receptors, Dopamine, Reward",

author = "Coppens, {Caroline M} and {de Boer}, {Sietse F} and Koolhaas, {Jaap M.}",

year = "2010",

month = dec,

day = "27",

doi = "10.1098/rstb.2010.0217",

language = "English",

volume = "365",

pages = "4021--4028",

journal = "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B",

issn = "1471-2970",

publisher = "ROYAL SOC",

number = "1560",

}

Coppens, CM, de Boer, SF & Koolhaas, JM 2010, 'Coping styles and behavioural flexibility: Towards underlying mechanisms', Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, vol. 365, no. 1560, pp. 4021-4028. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0217

Coping styles and behavioural flexibility: Towards underlying mechanisms. / Coppens, Caroline M; de Boer, Sietse F; Koolhaas, Jaap M.
In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Vol. 365, No. 1560, 27.12.2010, p. 4021-4028.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Coping styles and behavioural flexibility

T2 - Towards underlying mechanisms

AU - Coppens, Caroline M

AU - de Boer, Sietse F

AU - Koolhaas, Jaap M.

PY - 2010/12/27

Y1 - 2010/12/27

N2 - A coping style (also termed behavioural syndrome or personality) is defined as a correlated set of individual behavioural and physiological characteristics that is consistent over time and across situations. This relatively stable trait is a fundamental and adaptively significant phenomenon in the biology of a broad range of species, i.e. it confers differential fitness consequences under divergent environmental conditions. Behavioural flexibility appears to be an important underlying attribute or feature of the coping style that might explain consistency across situations. Proactive coping is characterized by low flexibility expressed as rather rigid, routine-like behavioural tendencies and reduced impulse control (behavioural inhibition) in operant conditioning paradigms. This article summarizes some of the evidence that individual differentiation in behavioural flexibility emerges as a function of underlying variability in the activation of a brain circuitry that includes the prefrontal cortex and its key neurochemical signalling pathways (e.g. dopaminergic and serotonergic input). We argue that the multidimensional nature of animal personality and the terminology used for the various dimensions should reflect the differential pattern of activation of the underlying neuronal network and the behavioural control function of its components. Accordingly, unravelling the molecular mechanisms that give rise to individual differences in the coping style will be an important topic in biobehavioural neurosciences, ecology and evolutionary biology.

AB - A coping style (also termed behavioural syndrome or personality) is defined as a correlated set of individual behavioural and physiological characteristics that is consistent over time and across situations. This relatively stable trait is a fundamental and adaptively significant phenomenon in the biology of a broad range of species, i.e. it confers differential fitness consequences under divergent environmental conditions. Behavioural flexibility appears to be an important underlying attribute or feature of the coping style that might explain consistency across situations. Proactive coping is characterized by low flexibility expressed as rather rigid, routine-like behavioural tendencies and reduced impulse control (behavioural inhibition) in operant conditioning paradigms. This article summarizes some of the evidence that individual differentiation in behavioural flexibility emerges as a function of underlying variability in the activation of a brain circuitry that includes the prefrontal cortex and its key neurochemical signalling pathways (e.g. dopaminergic and serotonergic input). We argue that the multidimensional nature of animal personality and the terminology used for the various dimensions should reflect the differential pattern of activation of the underlying neuronal network and the behavioural control function of its components. Accordingly, unravelling the molecular mechanisms that give rise to individual differences in the coping style will be an important topic in biobehavioural neurosciences, ecology and evolutionary biology.

KW - Adaptation, Psychological

KW - Animals

KW - Behavior, Animal

KW - Behavioral Research

KW - Models, Neurological

KW - Models, Psychological

KW - Personality

KW - Prefrontal Cortex

KW - Receptors, Dopamine

KW - Reward

U2 - 10.1098/rstb.2010.0217

DO - 10.1098/rstb.2010.0217

M3 - Article

C2 - 21078654

SN - 1471-2970

VL - 365

SP - 4021

EP - 4028

JO - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

JF - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

IS - 1560

ER -

Coppens CM, de Boer SF, Koolhaas JM. Coping styles and behavioural flexibility: Towards underlying mechanisms. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 2010 Dec 27;365(1560):4021-4028. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0217