Training 1-3

Dolphin Life Exam 1

Primary reasons for training

• Veterinary Care

• Husbandry

• Physical Exercise

• Mental Stimulation

Secondary Reasons

• Education

• Service (therapy, service-eye dogs, search and rescue)

• Research

• Enrichment

Psychology

the study of mind and behavior

Ethology

The study of animal behavior in relation to evolutionary function, commonly studied in natural settings

Comparative psychology

The study of animal behavior to understand functionality and how it compares to other human and nonhuman animal species

Behaviorism

the science of behavior

Applied behavior analysis

the science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied systematically to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for behavior change

The father of behaviorism

John B Watson

John B Watson believed in … science

naturalistic science by limiting studies to quantitative events (behaviors) rather than thoughs and feelings. School of thought known as methodical behaviorism

John B Watson experiment

Little Albert Experiment, applied classical conditioning techniques to a small baby

type of behaviorism that considers private events such as thoughts and feelings

radical behaviorism

Definition of behavior

the portion of an organism’s interactions with its environment that involves movement of some part of the organism

any observable or measurable response or act

an organism’s response to external or internal stimuli, including objectively observable activities. introspectively observable activities and nonconscious processes

respondent behavior

reflexive behavior that is elicited by antecedent stimuli (instincts)

operant behavior

behavior that is emitted by the animal and controlled by its consequences (adaptations)

Respondent Conditioning

commonly referred to as classical conditioning and sometimes known as Pavlovian conditioning

father of respondent conditioning

Ivan pavlov

Classical Conditioning definition

a stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure in which a neutral stimulus is presented with an unconditioned stimulus until a neutral stimulus becomes a classical conditioned stimulus that elicits the conditioned response

Operant Conditioning

The process and selective effects of consequences on behavior.

A type of learning in which behavior is altered primarily by regulating the consequences which follow them. The frequency of operant behaviors is altered by the consequences which they produce.

fathers of operant conditioning

Thorndike and BF Skinner

Thorndike’s experiment

puzzle box cat

BF Skinner experiment

operant chamber mouse

What does the Law of Effects state

behaviors which are followed by pleasant consequences are strengthened (reinforced)and are therefore likely to increase in frequency. The law also states that behaviors which are followed by independent consequences are weakened (punished) and are therefore likely to decrease in frequency.

pleasant consequences = increased frequency of similar response in future =

Reinforcement

Unpleasant consequences = decreased frequency of similar response in future =

Punishment

ABCs

Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence

Positive Reinforcement

The addition or increased intensity of a stimulus which results in increased frequency of behavior in the future

Negative Reinforcement

The removal or decreased intensity of an aversive stimulus which result in increased frequancy of behavior in the future

Positive Punishment

The addition or increased intensity of a stimulus which results in decreased frequency of behavior in the future

Negative Punishment

The removal or decreased intensity of a stimulus which results in decreased frequency of behavior in the future

Immediacy of Reinforcement

refers to the fact that reinforcement will be more effective on increasing the frequency of the target behavior in the future if delivered immediately than if delayed.

Automaticity (of reinforcement)

refers to the fact that behavior is modified by its consequences regardless of weather the individual is aware that their behavior is or has been reinforced

why do the dolphins not offer front flips spontaneously off-session

because it’s not trained under stimulus control

what does contingency refer to

the relationship between one or more elements of operant behavior and its controlling variables. contingency = relationship

Discriminative Stimulus (SD)

a stimulus in the presence of which a given behavior has been reinforced and in the absence of which that behavior has not been reinforced. As a result of this history a SD evokes operant behavior because its presence signals the availability of reinforcement.

Behavior is said to be under stimulus control when..

that behavior occurs more frequently or in a different form with the presence of an SD than in its absence.

Three-term contingency

Reinforcement changes the function of the stimulus immediately before. Through conditioning the animal learns that a behavior in the presence of an SD will produce reinforcement and the same behavior with an SD does not produce reinforcement

example of the SD, response, and reinforcement

smell your bad breath, brush teeth, have good breath

motivating operation

describes the environment which alters the effectiveness of reinforcement and therefore the frequency of behavior which has historically been reinforced by that reinforcement

establishing operation

the environmental conditions that increase effectiveness of a reinforcer (ex: famished person will work for free food)

reinforcer effectiveness … in the presence of deprivation

goes up

abolishing operation

environmental conditions that decrease effectiveness of a reinforcer (ex: not hungry person will not want to work for free food)

reinforcer effectiveness … in the presence of satiation

goes down

why is understanding motivation important as an animal trainer

know your currency, offering a vegan chicken won’t work.

motiviating operations creates a …

4th-term contingency

unconditioned reinforcer definition

cooper et. Al: a stimulus change that functions as reinforcement even though the learner has had no particular learning history with it

IMATA: a reinforcing event that does not depend on learning to achieve its reinforcing properties

unconditioned reinforcers are also known as

primary reinforcers and unlearned reinforcers

examples of unconditioned reinforcers

food, water, oxygen, shelter, s*x

unconditioned reinforcers are a function of ..

a species evolution and therefore typically fulfill a biological drive

conditioned reinforcer definition

Cooper et. Al: a previously neutral stimulus change that has acquired the capability to function as a reinforcer through stimulus-stimulus pairing with one or more unconditioned or conditioned reinforcers

IMATA: any stimulus that acquires reinforcing properties through association with primary reinforcement. An event which becomes reinforcing though learning

conditioned reinforcers are also known as

secondary reinforcers and learned reinforcers

examples of conditioned reinforcers

toys, pets, cheers, bridge, humans

Generalized condition reinforcer

a reinforcer that as a result of having been paired with many unconditioned and conditioned reinforcers does not depend on a current Establishing Operation for any particular form of reinforcement for its effectiveness. Ex: Money or Bridge

Automatic Reinforcement definition

Cooper et. Al: the behavior-stimulus change relation that occurs without the presentation of consequences by other people

is assumed when a behavior persist in the absence of any known reinforcer (ex: aries sliding out on the lift)

5 classifications of reinforcers

• Edible (fish, jello)

• Sensory (tactile, sound, smells)

• Tangible (toys)

• Social (eye contact, proximity, touch from other dolphins)

• Activity (do hw then go to get ice cream)

Primack Principle

a type of activity reinforcer where making the opportunity to engage in a behavior that occurs at a relatively high rate contingent on the occurrence of a low-frequency behavior will function as reinforcement for the low-occurrence behavior. ex: do blood draw then get play time with trainer

Temporary or generalized response suppression

stops for a second but then resumes behavior (ex: bull hook on elephants)

Respondent aggression

biological/instinctive. You hit an animal they’ll bite back because its hardwired

Operat aggression

learned. if you punch the bully they’ll go away

Escape and Avoidance

avoids punishment, run away, hide, or sits with head down

behavioral contrast example

stealing cookie when grandma is home v. gone, doing the bad thing more when the punisher is gone. ex: strict parents make sneaky kids

modeling of undesirable behavior

if you beat your child now they will beat their child because it’s become normalized to them

Differential reinforcement definition

reinforcing only those responses within a response class that meet a specific criterion along some dimension (frequency, duration, ect) and placing all other responses in the class of extinction. Ex: jump over pole straight, in the middle, and avoid guest to be reinforced.

Differential reinforcement is also known as

selective reinforcement

Differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO)

a procedure for decreasing problem behavior in which reinforcement is contingent on the absence of the target behavior. Ex: praise kid in class while not throwing temper tantrum

differential reinforcement of alternate behavior (DRA)

a procedure for decreasing problem behavior in which reinforcement is delivered for a behavior that serves as a desirable alternative to the behavior targeted for reduction and withheld following instances of the problem behavior. Ex” raise hand in class instead of yelling out, only reinforce when raised hand

differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI)

A procedure for decreasing problem behavior in which reinforcement is delivered for a behavior topographically incompatible with behavior targeted for reduction and withheld following instances if the problem behavior. Ex: aries breaking, hold him in a fluke and he can’t leave without breaking criteria, breaking it incompatible with a successful fluke

Extinction

the discontinuing of a reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior

what is extinction burst

phenomenon where the frequency of responding increases in the initial absence of reinforcement

LRS

least reinforcing scenario, 3 second neutral response

schedule of reinforcement

Cooper et al: a rule that describes a contingency of reinforcement the environmental arrangements that determine the conditions by which behaviors will produce reinforcement

IMATA: the type, amount, and frequency of the reinforcement that will be given when a task if completed. Refers to the various plans for applying reinforcement. Rules governing the delivery of reinforcement

effects of Extinction

decreases in frequency of behavior until it reaches pre-reinforcement levels or ceases to exist

continuous reinforcement

each occurance of a behavior is reinforced.

definition: a schedule of reinforcement that provides reinforcement for each occurance of the target behavior

effects of continuous reinforcement

• strengthens behaviors

• primarily used during initial stages of learning new behaviors

intermittent reinforcement

some but not all occurrences of behavior are reinforced

a contingency of reinforcement in which some but not all occurrences of behavior produce reinforcement. Ex: told good job at work

ratio refers to

counting

interval refers to

time

variable refers to

change

fixed refers to

remains same

fixed interval (FI)

reinforcement follows the first response after a fixed amount of time has elapsed since previously reinforced response

fixed interval has a … to moderate overall rate of response

low

post reinforcement pause with accelerating response rate towards end of internal is also known as

scalloping effect

FI large intervals produce … response rates

lower

FI equation

FI n-t

variable interval (VI)

reinforcement follows the first response after a variable amount of time has elapsed since the previously reinforced response,

VI n-t where n=mean

VI produces … to moderate overall rate of response

low

VI no post reinforcement pause so creates a … stable rate of response

constant

for VI large mean intervals produce … response rates

larger

fixed ration rate (FR)

reinforcement follows a fixed number of responses. FRn where n= the number of responses

FR produced overall … rates of response

high

FR has a … patterns and post-reinforcement pause

break and run

abrupt increases in FR size may generate

abulia and ratio strain

variable ratio (VR)

reinforcement follows a variable number of responses. VRn where n= mean number of ratio

VR creates a … rate of response and has no post-reinforcement pause

strong

high ratios for VR can be obtained through ..

gradually thinning the schedule

what is the most effective basic schedule for maintaining behavior

VR

which schedule of reinforcement is not effective for shaping behaviors

variable ratio

schedule thinning

refers to the process of changing the contingency of reinforcement by gradually increasing the response ratio of time interval resulting in lower rate of reinforcement per responses. Helps achieve high ratios or intervals

ratio strain

results in abrupt increases in ratio requirements or when ratio requirements are too large for the reinforcement to maintain the response level. results in avoidance, aggresion, and unpredictable pauses in responding

VRRV

variable ratio with reinforcement variety

variable ratio with reinforcement variety

Van der Toorn: a variable ratio schedule that also needs use of a variety of primary reinforcers so it relies on the use of a generalized secondary reinforcer.

a reinforcement schedule where reinforcement occurs after a varied number of responses and a variety of reinforcers is used