fagen Flashcards
What is Operant Conditioning?
Learning through the consequences of our actions
This concept suggests that behaviors followed by good consequences are more likely to be repeated.
What is Positive Reinforcement?
Adding something good (a positive reward), like chocolate or praise
It encourages the repetition of behavior by providing a favorable outcome.
Define Negative Reinforcement.
The removal of something bad (still a reward), like eating to remove the feeling of hunger
This also strengthens behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus.
What are natural reinforcers?
Food, shelter, sleep, etc.
These are essential for survival and occur without human intervention.
What are artificial reinforcers?
Money, praise, etc.
These are created by people to influence behavior.
True or False: Operant Conditioning focuses on internal thought processes.
False
It is solely interested in observable behavior.
What is Secondary Positive Reinforcement (SPR)?
Training that teaches animals to associate specific sounds with food
These sounds are called ‘markers’ or ‘sound markers’.
What is the purpose of a sound marker in animal training?
To precisely tell the animal when it has correctly performed the desired behavior
This is more immediate than food rewards.
What health issue was investigated in elephants using SPR?
Tuberculosis (TB)
TB is a serious respiratory disease that can be transmitted between humans and elephants.
What was the main aim of the study on elephants?
To see if elephants could be trained to participate in a trunk wash using positive reinforcement
This method avoids traditional punishment-based training.
Describe the sample used in the study.
5 female elephants - 4 juvenile & 1 adult
All elephants were traditionally trained and housed at the same stable in Nepal.
What were the primary and secondary reinforcers used in the training?
Chopped banana as the primary reinforcer and a short whistle blow as the secondary reinforcer
This combination helped establish a marker-reward relationship.
What is the method of ‘Capture’ in animal training?
Waiting for the animal to perform a behavior naturally and then marking it with a reward
This encourages the animal to repeat the behavior.
What does ‘Lure’ mean in the context of animal training?
Luring the animal into a certain body position by placing a reward in a specific location
This is used for behaviors that do not occur naturally.
What is the purpose of ‘Shaping’ in animal training?
Rewarding only the behaviors that are incrementally closer to the desired behavior
This helps refine the behavior towards the final goal.
What percentage was considered a passing score for the elephants’ training?
80% (8/10 correct on a sequence)
This standard was used to determine when training was complete.
What was a significant finding regarding the juvenile elephants’ training success?
The 4 juvenile elephants successfully learned the trunk wash, but the adult elephant didn’t
The adult had potential visual impairments and distractions affecting her training.
What are some strengths of the study?
- Decent reliability due to controlled observations
- Good internal validity
- No demand characteristics
- Good quantitative data
- Ethical treatment of elephants
These factors contribute to the study’s overall credibility.
List some weaknesses of the study.
- Small sample size (5)
- Poor generalizability
- Practical challenges in training large animals
- Selection of docile elephants
These limitations may affect the applicability of the study’s findings.
