Animal Learning & Training – Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards summarising essential terms from the lecture on factors influencing learning, motivation, emotions, and humane animal training principles.

Learning

A change in behaviour that occurs as a result of experience.

Motivational State

An internal condition (e.g., hunger) that energises and directs behaviour toward a goal.

Biological Predisposition

Innate tendencies that influence what and how easily an animal can learn.

Environmental Distractor

External stimulus that competes for an animal’s attention during learning or training.

Neophobia

Fear or avoidance of novel objects or situations; typically lower in animals handled when young.

Motivation

A state that stimulates goal-directed behaviour; energises, directs, persists, and varies in strength.

Regulatory Motivation

Motivation that drives behaviour aimed at maintaining internal homeostasis (e.g., eating, drinking).

Goal-Directed Motivation

Motivation driven by cognitive processes to achieve personal or external goals beyond basic survival.

Need

A state of deficiency or deprivation that initiates a motivational drive.

Drive

A psychological state activated to satisfy a need, prompting behaviour.

Reward (Drive Reduction)

Positive outcome that reduces a drive when the need is satisfied, reinforcing behaviour.

Learning Theory

Scientific principles explaining how animals acquire, modify, and retain behaviours through experience.

Trial and Error

Learning process in which an animal tries various behaviours until one achieves the desired outcome.

Emotion

Pleasant or unpleasant arousal state linked to behavioural and physiological changes.

Fear Response

Defensive reaction involving increased heart rate, hormonal changes, and escape behaviours when danger is perceived.

Training

Planned process of modifying animal behaviour for control, enrichment, jobs, or problem prevention.

Reinforcer

Any stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behaviour when presented after that behaviour.

Timing & Consistency

Delivering reinforcers or cues promptly and uniformly to strengthen learning.

Reward Schedule

Pattern determining how often a behaviour is reinforced (e.g., 1:1 during acquisition).

Differential Reinforcement

Reinforcing a preferred alternate, incompatible, or other rate of behaviour to modify existing actions.

Classical Conditioning

Learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, eliciting the same response.

Counter-Conditioning

Replacing an unwanted emotional response to a stimulus with a desired response via new positive associations.

Desensitization

Systematic, gradual exposure to a feared stimulus to decrease emotional reactivity.

Premack Principle

Using a high-probability (preferred) behaviour to reinforce a low-probability behaviour.

Social/Observational Learning

Acquiring behaviours by watching and imitating a model (conspecific or human).

Hierarchy of Dog Needs

Framework outlining dogs’ biological, emotional, social, and cognitive needs to promote welfare and learning.

Force-Free Training

Behaviour modification that avoids pain, fear, or dominance; relies on positive reinforcement and humane techniques.

Dominance Theory

Outdated view that undesirable behaviours stem from animals striving for rank; associated with coercive methods.

AVSAB Position Statement

Professional guideline discouraging dominance-based punishment due to welfare and aggression risks.

Positive Reinforcement

Adding a desirable stimulus after a behaviour to increase its future frequency.

Shaping

Reinforcing successive approximations toward a desired behaviour.

Luring

Guiding an animal into a behaviour by moving a reinforcer so the animal follows it.

Capturing

Reinforcing a spontaneously offered behaviour to increase its future occurrence.

Discriminative Stimulus (Cue)

Signal indicating that a specific behaviour will be reinforced when performed.

Antecedent Modification

Altering events that occur before a behaviour to increase, decrease, or redirect that behaviour.

Stress (Training Context)

Negative emotional state that impairs learning when excitement or anxiety exceeds threshold.

Secure Attachment/Bonding

Trusting relationship between animal and caregiver that promotes emotional safety and learning capacity.

Homeostasis

Physiological equilibrium maintained by regulatory motivation-driven behaviours.