Incomplete [🧠] Fagen et al. (elephant learning) Flashcards
Learning Approach | Elephant Learning
Define
Positive reinforcement
A favourable event or outcome given after a desired behaviour has been exhibited
What is
SPR training
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
Secondary positive reinforcement is training in which a secondary reinforcer such as a sound marker is given, followed with administration of a primary positive reinforcer which is typically food
What is SPR training used for?
SPR training is used in order to form an association between behaviour and primary positive reinforcer
What is
free contact
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
a management system where there is unlimited contact between handlers and elephants
What is
protected contact
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
a management system where a barrier is maintained between the elephants and handlers, relying on positive reinforcement
it improves keeper safety
Benefits of secondary positive reinforcement for animal training
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
For the animal
1. increases creativity, choice, control and problem solving
2. improved psychological wellbeing
For the handlers - safer conditions
What was the aim of the study?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of secondary positive reinforcement on training free-contact, traditionally trained elephants to voluntarily perform a trunk wash for the purpose of tuberculosis testing
Sample of Fagen et al.
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- 5 female elephants
- 4 juveniles, 1 adult
- juveniles aged 5-7 years old
- adult in her 50s
- all elephants are free-contact
- none of the elephants had previously been exposed to SPR training
What can positive reinforcement training improve in husbandry and veterinary procedures?
- behavioural reliability
- captive management
- welfare
Describe the kocha
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
A whittled bamboo stick
over all sessions, what was the total training time for Elephant 2?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
257 minutes
over all sessions, what was the total training time for Elephant 4?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
451 minutes
Define
operant conditioning
a method of learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior, where an association is made between a behaviour and a consequence for that behavior
positive consequence → likely repetition of behaviour
negative consequence → unlikely repetition of behaviour
How does positive reinforcement affect a response/behaviour happening?
response or behaviour is strengthened by the addition of praise or a direct reward
Define
negative reinforcement
the removal of an unfavorable event or outcome after the display of a behaviour, where a response is strengthened by the removal of something considered unpleasant
Define
punishment
the presentation of an adverse event or outcome that causes a decrease in the behavior it follows. There are two kinds of punishment, positive and negative.
Define
punishment by application
positive punishment
punishment that presents an unfavorable event or outcome in order to weaken the response it follows.
Define
punishment by removal
negative punishment
punishment where a favourable event or outcome is removed after a behavior occurs, decreasing the behaviour
Significance of reinforcement schedules in the speed and strength of acquisition of behaviour
timing and frequency of reinforcement influences how new behaviours are learned and how old behaviours are modified
Distractions for the elephants
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- other animals in the neighbouring jungle
- the presence of large audiences of tourists sometimes approaching to take photographs during the training sessions
- the proximity of the afternoon sessions to their evening meal
Why did Elephant 5 fail to complete the training in the available time?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- 2-month-old calf wandered into the training sessions on a regular basis, reached into the reward bucket, and interrupted the sessions. Mahouts’ efforts to minimize calf’s presence might have been even more distracting to Elephant 5
- for 1 week toward the end of training, Elephant 5 was noticeably impatient and unfocused, a period coinciding with the presence of a foot abscess
- Elephant 5 had some vision impairment and trunk weakness
- age might have also been a factor in her learning style (used to punishment by application)
- trainer’s were able to learn from failures and successes in one juvenile elephant and apply them to the other juveniles. These modifications were less applicable to Elephant 5 because she was the only adult
Individual differences in Elephant 1
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
consistently showed impatience and declining performance with repetition; thus, her final trunk-wash test was preplanned to be only a 5-offer test (still requiring the 80% correct as passing criteria)
* she was the youngest; decline in performance with repetition can be attributed to age or simply personality
Application to everyday life
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- in less than a month, with one to two short training sessions a day, juvenile elephants can be taught to voluntarily participate in a trunk wash
- for elephants with severe trunk-handling phobia, they must undergo trunk desensitization to master certain skills and would benefit from a modified method
- training time varies with the trainer’s experience, strength of the reward, and stress level of the elephant.
Improving the Study
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- alter the criteria for passing a behavioural task in the performance tests - criterion was a subjective assessment by the trainer
- have stricter criteria regarding the time a position is held with exact positioning parameters (e.g., trunk a certain height, in a certain orientation, etc.)
- evaluate or videotape sessions to be available for review and scoring
- have additional personnel and equipment to improve the objectivity and accuracy of data recording
Future Studies
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- explore training for trunk washes using SPR in male elephants, in other age groups, with a larger number of study elephants, or in other locations or settings around the world.
- expand on SPR’s use for training animals in other behaviours necessary for veterinary or general husbandry management.
- include a control group or comparison group of traditionally trained elephants could further emphasize the benefits of SPR training.
- assess the welfare impacts of traditional versus SPR training, including their support of veterinary procedures and their effects on the animals’ overall stress levels.
What reinforcement schedules were used to train the elephants?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
Continuous reinforcement and Partial reinforcement
Define
Continuous reinforcement
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
delivering a reinforcement every time a response occurs, used during the initial stages of learning to create a strong association between the behavior and response
Define
Partial Reinforcement
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
reinforcement given occasionally, not on every instance
Define
primary reinforcer
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
reward that fulfils a biological need
E.g. food, drink, shelter
Define
secondary reinforcer
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
reinforcer that is learned and work via association with primary reinforcers
E.g. money, good grades, tokens, stars/stickers
How were the elephants housed for the study?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- elephants leg chains were normally placed with both front legs chained together or on a single front leg
- allowed enough laxity in the chains for the elephant to move*
- Husbandry conditions at the stable weren’t altered
- Not every elephant was trained during each session due to time constraints and mahout availability, but no elephant went longer than 2 days without a training session
Research method
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- controlled, structured observation
- behaviour checklist used to record the elephants’ responses (% pass)
Primary reinforcer of the study
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
chopped banana
Secondary reinforcer of the study
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
short whistle
Indoor session times
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
7:30am to 10am
4pm to 7pm
What did the mahout do?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
Mahout stood to the side and did not speak to or signal to the elephants, but was present for safety
How did the elephants indicate that they did not wish to engage in a session?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
by turning or
walking away from the trainer
State the 5 behavioural tasks the elephants were required to do in training for the trunk wash
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- Trunk here
- Trunk up
- Bucket
- Blow
- Steady
Describe the behavioural task ‘trunk here’
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
elephant places the end of its trunk into the trainer’s hand
Describe the behavioural task ‘trunk up’
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
elephant lifts the trunk upwards so that the fluid ran to the base of the trunk
Describe the behavioural task ‘bucket’
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
elephant lowers the tip of its trunk in the bucket
Describe the behavioural task ‘blow’
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
elephant exhales through trunk into the bucket
Describe the behavioural task ‘steady’
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
elephants hold the position they have previously been asked to do
What was the purpose of training the elephants?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
to teach the elephants to perform a voluntary trunk wash, actively moving their trunk in response to a cue
What was the marker-reward relationship established?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
whistle-banana
What were the three techniques that the elephants were taught with?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- capture
- lure
- shaping
State what is meant by the ‘capture’ technique
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
waiting for the animal to perform a behaviour naturally, then ‘capturing’ it by marking it with a reward
State what is meant by the ‘lure’ technique
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
the elephant is lured into a certain body position by placing a reward in a certain place
used for non-natural behaviours
State what is meant by the ‘shaping’ technique
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
after starting either capture or lure, rewards are then only given for the behaviours that are the ‘best’
Why did the behavioral tasks have to occur smoothly in succession?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
so that none of the fluid was lost on the ground and the elephant did not drink the solution
Name the 3 ways
in which data
was collected
in this study.
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- Session times
- Number of offers
- Performance tests
Which elephant took the least number of sessions to learn the trunk wash?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
Elephant 2,
after only 25 training sessions
mean duration: 10.29 min
Which elephants took the most number of sessions to learn the trunk wash?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
Elephant 3 and 4
after 35 training sessions
Elephant 3 mean session duration: 13.27 min
Elephant 4 mean session duration: 11.11 min
Which elephant had the shortest total training time?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
Elephant 2
257 min
Which elephant had the longest total training time?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
Elephant 4
451 min
All elephants passed all individual behavioural tests before their final testing session, with these exceptions…
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- Elephant 5 didn’t pass ‘blow’, desensitization to syringe or ‘steady’ tests
- Elephants 2 and 4 passed the full trunk-wash test but never the ‘steady’ tests
What did an elephant’s ability to pass an individual behavioural test depend on?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
- relative difficulty of the task
- when the task was first introduced in the training process
How was the relative difficulty of a task measured?
Fagen et al. (elephant learning)
relative difficulty measured by the number of offers given to the elephant before it first got a passing score on the individual behavioural test
how much practice was needed before a task was considered reliable
Research method used in Fagen et al
controlled observation
