Phase 2: Learning Theory

Question 0

Reinforcement

Answer 0

Anything that increases or strengthens a behavior or increases its frequency.

Question 1

Motivation

Answer 1

Conscious or unconscious need, drive, or desire that incites a person or animal to produce an action or behavior.

Question 2

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 2

something rewarding is initiated or presented

Question 3

Negative Reinforcement

Answer 3

Involves the removal of something the dog considers unpleasant the instant he performs the desired behavior.
Examples:
Release pressure from choke chain, head collar

Question 4

Keeping the dog off the couch -

Positive Reinforcement training example

Answer 4

Give the dog treats when he’s on the floor.

Question 5

Keeping a dog off the couch -

Negative Reinforcement Training Example

Answer 5

Place a prickly plastic runner carpet on the couch, so the dog gets relief from the pricks on the carpet as soon as he jumps down.

Question 6

Punshiment

Answer 6

Use of a penalty to decrease occurrence of a behavior.

Question 7

Positive Punishment

Answer 7

Presenting a negative consequence to an undesirable behavior the moment the dog engage in the undesirable behavior.

Example: Squirt water in dogs face when it jumps on a person

Positive punishment goes hand-in-hand with negative reinforcement

Question 8

Negative Punishment

Answer 8

Removing something the dog desires the moment he performs an undesirable behavior.

Usually paired with Positive Reinforcement.

Example: Turning back on a dog and remove attention when he jumps on you.

Question 9

Classical Conditioning

Answer 9

AKA - associative learning

Pavlovian model

Question 10

Primary Stimuli

Answer 10

Stimuli that animals react to without training (food, pain, etc.)

Question 11

Operant Conditioning

Answer 11

Forms an association between a behavior and a consequence.

Teaches a VOLUNTARY response by reinforcing stimulus.

Question 12

Opposition Reflex

Answer 12

Natural response to push into pressure

Pushing a dog into a position (sit) can lead to confrontation rather than communication.

Question 13

Unconditioned reinforcement

Answer 13

AKA - Primary reinforcement

Biologically pre-established reinforcers essential to dog’s survival.

Food, water, air
Toys or praise depending on breed.

Question 14

Conditioned Reinforcement

Answer 14

AKA - Secondary Reinforcement

Something an animal has to learn to like.

Example: See/hearing a leash means the dog gets to go on a walk.

Question 15

4 Stages of Learning

Answer 15

1) Acquisition
2) Automation
3) Generalization
4) Maintenance

Question 16

Thorndike’s Law of Effect

Answer 16

When learning, those responses that are followed closely by a reward are more likely to occur in the future.
Those responses that are followed closely by a correction are less likely to occur in the future.

Question 17

Acquisition Stage of Learning

Answer 17

Initial stage of learning

Behaviors acquired through classical or operant condition and strengthened by reinforcement.

Question 18

Shaping a behavior

Answer 18

Learning through a series of small steps to achieve a desired behavior.

Question 19

Capturing A Behavior

Answer 19

Wait for the dog to do something on his own and reward him for it.

Question 20

Luring

Answer 20

Use a reward and have the dog follow it until desired behavior is achieved.

Question 21

Automation Stage of Learning

Answer 21

AKA - Fluency

Dog learns to automatically give a specific behavior to a particular cue without being prompted or lured.

Question 22

Generalization Stage of Learning

Answer 22

The dog learns to respond correctly to the cue in different places with different people.

Change only 1 aspect of training situation at a time (location, position, person doing training).

Question 23

Maintenance Stage of Learning

Answer 23

The dog performs behavior on cue 90 - 100% of the time.

Question 24

Single Event or Perceptual Learning

Answer 24

A dog learns to judge events that occur in his life as relevant or irrelevant.
A parent overreacting or consoling a dog after a relatively insignificant event can teach the dog that the event is, in fact, relevant.

Question 25

Orienting Reflex

Answer 25

Innate reflex that causes a dog to respond immediately to a change in environment.
Can be change in attention or physiological change (pupil dilation, decrease in heart rate, etc.)