8. Fagen et al. (2014) - Learning Approach - done Flashcards
Aim of Fagen
to investigate whether secondary positive reinforcement can be used to train elephants to voluntarily complete a trunk wash – allowing it to be tested for TB
Research method/design of Fagen (2)
controlled observation
repeated measures design
IV of Fagen
the cues made to the elephants
DV of Fagen (3)
- training duration – first cue to the last cue
- number of cues made by trainers
- success rate
Grading behavior of Fagan (2)
If they showed correct behaviour 8/10 times were considered successful if the trainer thought they were ready to do real TB trunk-wash tests on their own.
From session 10 onwards, at every 5th session, they’d be tested on everything they learned until then.
Behaviour sequences were graded after grading behaviours individually (which achieved a 90% success rate). The success criterion was 80%. If a sequence failed, they’d then be tested on shorter sequences/individual behaviours.
The training stopped when elephants achieved an 80% success rate on the full five-stepped trunk wash sequence.
Sample of Fagen (3)
5 female elephants from Nepal
4 juviniles aged 5-7
and one adult aged at least 50
all born in the stable and tame
their mahouts would watch but would not participate to ensure the trainers safety
Full steps of the trunk wash in Fagen (5)
- Put their trunk into the trainer’s hand so saline is inserted.
- Lift their trunk and hold the fluid in.
- Lower their trunk into a bucket.
- Blow into the bucket to remove the fluid.
- Hold the trunk steady before relaxing.
Procedure of Fagen (4)
they did training in the morning and/or in the afternoon – chained in their stalls
The behavioural checklist was used to measure how successful the elephants were in completing the behaviours in the checklist.
Once the elephants had learned all behaviours individually, trainers used verbal cues (one-syllable non words) to prompt elephants to perform the behaviours in sequences. Elephants were rewarded only if they completed the sequence in the right order, and gradually they learnt to perform all behaviours together.
The syringe was introduced after the elephants learned the trunk-wash behaviour. researchers desensitised them to it by gradually exposing it during each step. They used counterconditioning to associate the syringe with the arrival of bananas.
Results of Fagen et al (4)
- elephants did the trunk wash in 25-35 sessions
- average sessions were 12 mins
- The mother elephant failed to learn the sequence – her results were excluded
- success rate went from 39% in 10 sessions to 89% after 35 sessions —> they had to learn each step individually
Conclusion of Fagen
Secondary positive reinforcement is effective for training juvenile, traditionally trained elephants to voluntarily and reliably participate in a trunk wash.
Strengths of Fagen (4)
+ behvarioal checklist –>operationalised, it increases the reliability of the recordings
+ Mahouts did not speak or do anything during the training –> so it was specifically the training of the trainers (soley the secondary positive reinforcement given by the trainers)
+ Elephants when they walked away from training they did not force (ethics) and did not cause them any psychological harm for not participating in the study
+ they did the experiment where the elephants stayed - in their natural setting
Weakness of Fagen (3)
- only 5 elephants –> low generalisability
- The measurement of the elephants’ performances was subjective since they had to decide if they felt the elephants successfully completed a full trunk wash.
- The elephants regularly failed the steady task – they only reached 70% accuracy instead of 80% because they were not good at the trunk-down task, hence reducing the validity of the results.
- tame elephants in Nepal –> they are different to other elephants (low generalisability)
