Differences in theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches may also entail the diverse use of the different concepts between basic and applied research approaches. The assessment of personality in farm animals is of growing scientific and practical interest. Finally, we discuss some findings on the possible impact of personality on the welfare of farm animals. Second, we present which concepts, methods and measures are applied in farm animal personality research and show that the terminology used seems to be somehow species-related. First, we shortly introduce concepts describing human personality and how these concepts are used to explain animal personality. In the present review we give a comprehensive overview of the concepts and terms currently used in animal personality research and critically reveal how they are defined and what they measure. Nevertheless, the terminology and definitions used in this broad scientific field are often confusing because different concepts and methods are used to explain often synonymously applied terms, such as personality, temperament and coping style. Much research has been conducted to assess distinctive individual differences in behavior in a large number of species in the past few decades, and increasing numbers of studies include farm animals. Measuring and understanding personality in animals is a rising scientific field. 2Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.1Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany.Marie-Antonine Finkemeier 1,2, Jan Langbein 1 * and Birger Puppe 1,2 *

Farm animal typing