learning process

What is learning?

The process by which a behaviour is acquired, omitted, or changed as a result of experience.

The way in which an animal learns affects now we attempt to teach it and modify behavioural concerns

Imprinting

kind of learning in the very young, based mainly on maternal attachment and acquisition of basic behaviour patterns

Socialization

process of exposure

Habituation

• The response of an animal to a new stimulus weakens when repeatedly exposed to it

• if an animal is not exposed to the stimulus for a period, habituation may disappear and earlier response returns

• involves no rewards

• decrease in response to a stimulus that is the result of repeated or prolonged exposure

Operant conditioning

• an animal tries something new, and if they are rewarded, they are more likely to repeat the behaviour

• instrumental learning - the behaviour is the instrument in which reinforcement is obtained

• Beneficial learning

• undesirable learning (even if not intended, can reward bad behaviour)

Classical conditioning

Does not involve a reward structure to make association

conditioned reflex → also known as conditioned response learning

unconditioned stimulus

stimulus that will cause a reflex response (eg. food)

unconditioned response

reflex response (eg. drooling in response to food)

Conditioned stimulus

an unrelated stimulus that would not normally give any response is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (eg bell + food)

Conditioned Response

animal learns an association between the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned stimulus → conditioned response is seen

. factors to consider with Classical Conditioning

• 2 unrelated stimuli must be presented very close together for the pairing and association to take place

• repetition needed for the pairing to be accomplished

• response must follow the stimulus immediatly

• can be used to change an animal's emotional response to something

rewards

common reason an animal will repeat a behaviour is because of the response they receive

the effectiveness of the reward depends on how desireable the reward is

touch and sound work for dogs, not so much for cats

Positive Reinforcement

Giving something pleasant or desirable

Negative reinforcement

removing unpleasant stimulus to increase the likely hood of the behaviour occurring

not the same as punishment

continuous reinforcement

each correct action is rewarded

Intermittent Reinforcement

• once a trick is learned, the reward frequency should be reduced

• giving rewards irregularly - the animal works harder to get the reward

• more likely to be permanent behaviours

• don't reward in fixed intervals every time

• most undesirable behaviours are rewarded like this

successive approximation

training an animal to do a certain trick or behaviour by rewarding the behaviour that is close enough to the desired behaviour

eg. toilet training a cat

Chaining Behaviours

• training an animal to perform a sequence of events

• trainer must start with the last action first, then work backwards

Extinction

• the loss of a learned behaviour which occurs when the stimulus is permanently withdrawn

• Behaviours will be repeated as long as the reinforcement is occasionally present

• reward permanently withheld = stop performing the behaviour

Punishment

• goal is to decrease an unwanted behaviour

• can have both positive and negative punishment

• Does not describe whether a punishment is good or bad

Positive punishment

giving an aversive or unpresent stimulus, after or during a response that leads to the decrease the frequency of the behaviour

should only be used as a last resort, and only if the animal knows what the correct response

negative punishment

with holding something desirable when the animal is doing something you don't want it to do, with the goal of decreasing the frequency of the behaviour

Critical factors in punishment

• Timing: must be immediate

• consistency

Appropriateness of Intensity

• must be enough force to stop the act but not so much that it will create fear

• mild punishment can be mistaken for reward

level of response of an animal to punishment depends on:

• animal's temperament

• animal's prev. experience

• relationship between pet and owner

• contingency- must be caught in the act

• repeated use- may get used to it

• schedules - must be every time the act is done

• Alternate response - provide animal with alternative behaviour for which they can be rewarded

alternatives to positive punishment

• remove the reward for the behaviour (negative punishment)

• provide alternative acceptable behaviour (counter conditioning)

Aversive conditioning

punishment should come from the environment whenever possible. That way the dog doesn't associate the owner with punishment

Systemic Desensitization

• Decrease in a response that is produced by gradual exposure to a stimulus that elicits that response

• Introduce fear causing stimuli for short periods of time or in muted forms so that it does not induce fear

counter conditioning

• negative or undesirable behaviour is controlled or eliminated by teaching the dog to perform an acceptable alternative behaviour

Flooding

• Overexposure to the stimuli that elicits the undesirable behaviour

• can lead to increased fear or phobias

• better for humans

Drug desensitization

either medical or behaviour conditions

Pharmacological intervention

• purpose is to produce a calm, relaxed, more focused pet that is more apt to respond to basic training command so that pairing exposure to stimulus with positive reinforcement can be accomplished

• once a successful response is achieved, a reduction in meds can take place

• sometimes reduction is not possible

Prompting and fading

• giving a clue for behaviour (hand signal)

• reward the desired response and repeat

• Gradually decrease the intensity of the cue

observational learning

learn a behaviour by watching others

Problem analysis

Why is the animal behaving the way it is?

Problem analysis: cause

• cause comes before the problem behaviour occurs

• if the cause is removed, the behaviour should cease

• Take away one potential problem at a time

Problem analysis: stimuli

• when?

• where?

• who is involved?

• Does the problem occur with only Certain people or at specific times of the day?

Problem analysis: Response

• what is the problem? what is the animal doing?

• list all the problems

• Deal with the most severe problem first

Problem analysis: Reward

• what is the reinforcement that encourages the behaviour?

• what happens to the dog when or after the behaviour occurs?

• what does the owner do?

• Is the owner's reaction consistent?