Phase 2: Learning Theory Flashcards
Reinforcement
Anything that increases or strengthens a behavior or increases its frequency.
Motivation
Conscious or unconscious need, drive, or desire that incites a person or animal to produce an action or behavior.
Positive Reinforcement
something rewarding is initiated or presented
Negative Reinforcement
Involves the removal of something the dog considers unpleasant the instant he performs the desired behavior.
Examples:
Release pressure from choke chain, head collar
Keeping the dog off the couch -
Positive Reinforcement training example
Give the dog treats when he’s on the floor.
Keeping a dog off the couch -
Negative Reinforcement Training Example
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.
Punshiment
Use of a penalty to decrease occurrence of a behavior.
Positive Punishment
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
Negative Punishment
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.
Classical Conditioning
AKA - associative learning
Pavlovian model
Primary Stimuli
Stimuli that animals react to without training (food, pain, etc.)
Operant Conditioning
Forms an association between a behavior and a consequence.
Teaches a VOLUNTARY response by reinforcing stimulus.
Opposition Reflex
Natural response to push into pressure
Pushing a dog into a position (sit) can lead to confrontation rather than communication.
Unconditioned reinforcement
AKA - Primary reinforcement
Biologically pre-established reinforcers essential to dog’s survival.
Food, water, air
Toys or praise depending on breed.
Conditioned Reinforcement
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.
4 Stages of Learning
1) Acquisition
2) Automation
3) Generalization
4) Maintenance
Thorndike’s Law of Effect
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.
Acquisition Stage of Learning
Initial stage of learning
Behaviors acquired through classical or operant condition and strengthened by reinforcement.
Shaping a behavior
Learning through a series of small steps to achieve a desired behavior.
Capturing A Behavior
Wait for the dog to do something on his own and reward him for it.
Luring
Use a reward and have the dog follow it until desired behavior is achieved.
Automation Stage of Learning
AKA - Fluency
Dog learns to automatically give a specific behavior to a particular cue without being prompted or lured.
Generalization Stage of Learning
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).
Maintenance Stage of Learning
The dog performs behavior on cue 90 - 100% of the time.
Single Event or Perceptual Learning
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.
Orienting Reflex
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.)
