Altering perceptions and emotional responses Flashcards
What factors influence an animals fear-anxiety motivations?
- Early rearing experiences
- Parents/genetics
- Life experiences
- Specific incidents
- Health: physical, emotional, cognitive
If clinical examination suggests the potential for an underlying medical factor which further tests may be considered necessary ?
- Blood tests
- Radiographs
- Neurological workup
What is the first stage of treatment in modifying fear-anxiety related behaviour?
Reduce residual negative emotion - empty the sink
How can residual negative emotion be reduced?
- reduce input
- encourage cold tap, low flow rate
- encourage drainage
How can the triggers for emotional responses be reduced?
- Limit exposure
- Dilute the trigger
- Modify the environment
- Modify interactions
How can removal of residue be encourgaed?
- Maximise the dogs ability to sleep within its requirement of 16 hours
- Allow engagement of appropriate drainage behaviours
How can an emotional response be altered when modifying fear-anxiety related behaviour?
- neutralising the animal’s reaction to the problematic stimuli through desensitisation
- change the animal’s perception through forming new and positive associations through the process of counter-conditioning
What can occur as a result of inadvertent punishment by the O?
Increase confusion / frustration or induce fear
What is emotional conditioning, give an example?
The idea that many emotional reactions are learned due to classical conditioning
o Association of something fear producing (a needle) with a neutral object (a veterinary context) => conditioned emotional response
What are the two stages of altering emotional response to a stimulus?
Desensitisation
Counter condition
Define desensitisation and counter conditioning
Desensitise – neutralise the emotional response
Counter condition – alter the emotional response
How can you ensure successful counter-conditioning?
Ensuring that the positive emotional response initiated by the cue, such as food or social contact, is significantly stronger than the negative emotional association with the problematic stimulus
Animal must be in a positive emotional state when in the presence of previously negative stimulus
Give examples of triggers that can be used to induce or cue a positive emotional state via the seeking (desire) system
- Food treats
- Play
- Appropriate social contact
What needs to be observed to assess emotional response?
- Body posture
- Facial expression
- Ear and tail position
What is counter conditioning?
The process by which the emotional response to a stimulus is changed
In what ways has selective breeding made it difficult for some breeds to accurately signal their emotional state?
Morphological characteristics: drooping ears, long fur, short tails, heavy jowls
Negative (protective) emotional systems are associated with what signs?
- pulling away
- resisting approach
- leaning backwards
- extending hind legs behind
- raising hackles (hairs along the animals back)
- Tail position being down with the end of the tail between the legs and the base of the tail clamped down against the anus
Examples of facial signs of negative (protective) emotional bias include?
- ear position
- pupillary dilatation
- facial tension
- turning the head away
- averting gaze
How can the 3 ways in which the tail is wagged give us some clues to emotional state?
- Wagging of the tip of the tail only, often in a frantic manner, indicates a negative (protective) state
- Relaxed and rhythmic wagging of the whole tail from the base to the tip indicates a positive (engaging) emotional state.
- “Windmill” wagging can be seen as an appeasement gesture associated with emotional conflict
What is the first priority when altering perceptions and responses?
Stop unnecessary exposure to the problem stimulus
Following removal of unnecessary exposure to the problem stimulus, what occurs in the second stage of altering perceptions and responses?
- Active reinforcement of relaxation and positive emotional state with a chosen cue
- Encourage drainage
- Consider other emotional influences and modify
- Drugs
