Fagen et al (elephant learning)

Question 1

AIM:

Answer 1

🔷 The aim of the study was to see whether free-contact, traditionally trained elephants can be trained to participate in a trunk wash using positive reinforcement.

Question 2

BACKGROUND:

Question 3

SAMPLE:

Answer 3

🔹This study included five female elephants: four juveniles and one adult, all housed at the same elephant stable in Nepal. The juveniles were between 5 and 7 years old and had been born at the stable. The adult elephant was estimated to be in her 50s.

🔸The elephants were chosen from among the others at the stable as they were docile, not currently pregnant or looking after a calf and their mahouts were willing to take part in the study.

Question 4

PROCEDURE: 1

Question 5

PROCEDURE: 2

Question 6

PROCEDURE: 3

Question 7

RESEARCH METHOD:

Question 8

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN:

Question 9

RESULTS: 1

Question 10

RESULTS: 2

Question 11

CONCLUSION:

Question 12

EVALUATION: (Strengths)

Answer 12

🔷 High Validity –
The verbal cues that were used did not mean anything specific in either English or Nepali, and this was important to ensure that it would not lead to any demand characteristics from the elephants, as some specific words that they or the mahouts may have understood, could have affected their learning.

🔷 High Reliability -
The study has high levels of controls as it was a controlled observation, for example, the SPR training process was the same for all participants, all elephants were rewarded with the same reward of a chopped banana, and a behavioural checklist was used to record the
behaviours that were required to be learned by the elephants. This
makes the procedure highly standardized and easy to replicate in order to test for reliability

Question 13

EVALUATION: (Weaknesses)

Answer 13

🔷 Low generalizability -
This study involved a small group of only 5 female elephants. Using a small sample in a psychological study can make it difficult to generalise the results to a larger population. As the elephants were captive animals from one elephant stable in Nepal, it would be hard to say that they are representative of the general population.

🔹Low Reliability -
The presence of tourists and other elephants during the training sessions might have affected the elephants’ concentration or willingness to participate. The training time for the elephants was not standardized and was subject to each individual elephant’s learning ability, and this can also reduce the reliability of the study.

Question 14

EVALUATION: (Ethical Issues)

Answer 14

🔷 When using animals as participants, different sorts of ethical issues must be considered. In this instance, the elephants were reported to be well treated and did not appear to have been physically harmed as a result of the research. The elephants were able to graze freely for a large portion of the day, were fed adequately and were able to socialise with the other elephants in the jungle.

🔷 Investigating the effectiveness of positive reinforcement training in elephants that are already captive rather than capturing and using wild animals is a more ethical approach.

🔷 The study was carried out with the intention of developing a method for producing usable trunk wash samples. The purpose of this was to help with captive management of elephants and to enable tuberculosis to be quickly diagnosed and treated, which is highly beneficial to the elephants. The researchers actively avoided using punishment and instead focused on a training method which minimised harm to the animals.