Intro to learning & training

what is dominance

= relationship between individual animals, established by force/aggression and submission

what does dominane determine

determine the access to resources

issues with dominance based training techniques

can lead to

• increased fear

• escalated aggression

• breakdown of human-animal bond

• poor welfare

(T/F) Most behavioral problems are due to dominance.

False. NOT an explanation for most behaviour problems, most relate to anxiety, fear or inadvertent reinforcement

define learning

the process of acquiring new knowledge through experience

how does learning occur?

• learn by association (i.e. pairing/predicting) and consequences (good outcome - repeat vs. bad outcome - avoid)

what are the 3 main types of learning

• associative learning 

• non-associative learning

• innate behavior 

what are innate behaivors

Behaviors that are inherited and performed correctly the first time without prior experience or practice.

what are the 2 types of associative learning

classical conditioning

operant conditional (instrumental learning)

what are the 2 types of non-associative learnig

• habituation

• densensitization/sensitization

what is associative learning

= animal learns that different properties of the environment, or different stimuli, are associated. then the next time the same stimuli appears, the animal modifies its behavioral responses accordingly. 

(i.e. when ‘x’ happens, ‘y’ also happens)

classical conditioning vs operant conditioning

• classical = Learning new associations between a stimulus & an innate response (e.g. salivating when smelling food) - also called Pavlovian conditioning)

• operant = Learning associations between learned behaviors and outcomes. 

what do the following abbreviations refer to regarding classical conditioning? - CS US CR UR

CS = conditioned stimulus

US = unconditioned stimulus

CR = conditioned response

UR = unconditioned response

explains how classicial condition works using these terms: CS US CR UR

• natural behavior: US produces UR (food → salivation)

• animal associates CS with US (bell+food → salivation)

• end when CS produces CR (bell → salivation)

in this case US = food, UR = salivation with food, CS = bell, CR = salivation with bell

Using training puppy to defecate in a specific location as an example to explain how classicial conditioning works

US = full stomach

UR/CR = gastrocolic reflex/increased motility = defecate

CS = location

what is operant conditioning also called?

• instrumental learning

• trial and error

what does operant conditioning depend on?

consequences affects future behavior - likelihood of repeating behavior is affected by outcome of current behavior

(e.g. hand on stovetop = hot pain/burn = less likely to do again)

reinforcement vs punishment in operant conditioning

• reinforcement: more likely to repeat behavior

• punishment: less likely to repeat behavior

what are the 4 types of operant conditioning methods

• Pos. reinforcement = present stimulus, more behavior

• Negative reinforcement = removal stimulus, more behavior

• Positive punishment = present stimulus, less behavior

• Neg punishment = remove stimulus, less behavior

what are 4 things that make a reinforcement effective

• delivered immediately

• appropriate

• of value to the animal (desirable by the animal)

• contingent on behavior

what should a reinforcement schedule be like?

• Continuous (1:1) when teaching new behaviour

• Intermittent variable (not fixed ratio or time interval) to maintain behaviour and resist extinction

• Bonus rewards for great responses

what are some possible issues with aversive techniques (Negative Reinforcement, Positive Punishment)

• Difficult to get timing right

• Difficult to get appropriate level of aversiveness

• Can intensify anxiety/fear

• Can lead to or escalate aggression

• May mask aggression warning signs

• Associated context (person, animals)

• May not teach alternate, desired behaviour

how does sensitisation work?

• increase in sensitivity to a stimulus

  • more reactive to lower level stimulus as sensitivity increases

how does habituation work?

• waning of a response as a result of repeated stimulation (not followed by any kind of reinforcement specific to the stimulus)

• simply drop responses rather than changing or adding them

what are the 2 types of habituation levels?

• desensitization = exposed to stimulus from distance, or weakened stimulus. gradually increase strength as animal gets used to the low-level stimulus (cannot use unless can control stimulus)

• flooding = exposed to full force stimulus. (if animal fearful, flooding can be sensitive)

what is the goal of counter-conditioning

• to change the emotional/physiological response to a stimulus or to train an alternate incompatible behavio

how is counter-conditioning different from habituation

• positive response as its goal

• vs. desensitisation achieves a neutral response to the stimuli

classical counter-conditioning vs. operant counter-conditioning

• classical: condition a new association. usually combined with desensitization (associate blowing in face w/ treats to reduce aggression, or teaching dog to associate treat with loud noise)

• operant: train an alternate, incompatible behaivor (trainining dog to go thru obedience exercise when seeing other dogs so that it is distracted and doesn’t bark back at other dogs)

Give 5 examples of general principles that we should follow when training an animal

• clear goals & steps

• timing & consistency

  • 1:1 reward to cue initially to learn, then variable intermittent to maintain

  • short, frequent lessons - to enhance learning & memory response

• clarity of cues/signals

• value of reinforcer to animal

• finish session on reward