Shefoundthatpersonalityhadamajorimpactonlearning.Thebraverbaboonslearnt,buttheshyonesdidnotlearnthetaskalthoughtheywatchedthebaboonperformthetaskoffindingthenovelfoodjustaslongasthebraveonesdid.Ineffect,despitebeingmadeawareofwhattodo,theywerestilltooshytodowhattheexperiencedbaboondid.

Thesameheldtrueforanxiousbaboonscomparedwithcalmones.Theanxiousinpidualslearntthetaskbyobservingotherswhilethosewhowererelaxeddidnot,eventhoughtheyspentmoretimewatching.

Thismismatchbetweencollectingsocialinformationandusingitshowsthatpersonalityplaysakeyroleinsociallearninginanimals,somethingthathasPviouslybeenignoredinstudiesonhowanimalslearntodothings.Thefindingsaresignificantbecausetheysuggestthatanimalsmayperformpoorlyincognitive(认知）tasksnotbecausetheyaren’tcleverenoughtosolvethem,butbecausetheyaretooshyornervoustousethesocialinformation.

Thefindingsmayimpacthowweunderstandtheformationofcultureinsocieties.Ifsomeinpidualsareunabletogetinformationfromothersbecausetheydon’tassociatewiththeknowledgeableinpiduals,ortheyaretooshytousetheinformationoncetheyhaveit,informationmaynottravelbetweenallgroupmembers,Pventingtheformationofaculturebasedonsociallearning.