Lecture on Animal Training and Operant Conditioning

Introduction to Circus Animal Training

• Fascination with circus animals performing tricks.
• Curiosity about how animals are trained for these performances.
• Importance of operant conditioning in training animals.

Operant Conditioning

• Trainers do not wait for animals to exhibit desired behaviors naturally.
• Use of operant conditioning principles to train animals.

Shaping in Animal Training

• Definition: Reinforcing behavioral tendencies in the right direction and gradually reinforcing behaviors similar to the desired response.
• Example: Training a tiger to jump through a hoop of fire.
  • Initial fear of fire.
  • Gradual reinforcement from looking at the fire to jumping through the hoop.
• Shaping requires successive approximations toward the desired behavior.
• Takes weeks or months for animals to learn tricks.

Application to Humans: Behavior Modification

• Behavior Modification: Applying operant conditioning principles to humans.
• Examples include stopping procrastination, quitting smoking, and avoiding dangerous behaviors.

Case Study: Teaching Social Skills

• Use of behavior modification to teach adults with developmental disabilities.
• Example of reducing fixation on manhole covers using reinforcement.
• Emphasis on reinforcement over punishment.

Punishment vs. Reinforcement

• Psychologists recommend emphasizing reinforcement.

When Punishment Works

• Appropriate for criminal or self-destructive behaviors.
• Must be administered immediately and consistently.
• Milder punishment is often as effective as harsher punishment.

Drawbacks of Punishment

• Administered inappropriately or mindlessly.
• Can result in anxiety, fear, or rage.
• Effects may be temporary if not applied consistently.
• Does not convey information about desired behavior.
• May reinforce negative behavior by providing attention.

Alternatives to Punishment

• Use of extinction and reinforcement of alternative behaviors.
• Avoidance of abuse and focus on guiding desirable behavior.
• Example: Handling public tantrums through extinction by walking away.

Reward Systems

• Rewards should be tied to desired behaviors.
• Grade inflation as a misuse of rewards.

Issues with Rewards

• Can reduce intrinsic motivation if overused.
• Misuse of rewards leads to grade inflation and unrealistic expectations.
• Importance of using rewards sparingly to maintain intrinsic motivation.

Experiment on Rewards

• Study with preschoolers showing how rewards can decrease intrinsic enjoyment.

Summary and Conclusion

• Emphasis on shaping and operant conditioning for both animals and humans.
• Importance of reinforcing positive behaviors and using rewards judiciously.
• Avoidance of punishment due to potential negative consequences.