Learning Approach 2 - Fagen

Question 1

When was Fagen?

Answer 1

2014

Question 2

Where was Fagen?

Answer 2

Chitwan, Nepal

Question 3

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 3

Learning through the consequences of our actions.

Question 4

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 4

Adding something good.

Question 5

What is negative reinforcement?

Answer 5

The removal of something bad.

Question 6

Who pioneered the research on operant conditioning?

Answer 6

B. F. Skinner

Question 7

How are elephants traditionally trained?

Answer 7

Through torture such as hitting or stabbing the elephant when it does something wrong.

Question 8

What are elephant handlers called?

Answer 8

Mahouts.

Question 9

What is secondary positive reinforcement (SPR)?

Answer 9

Associating the reward with sound markers. Used to train animals.

Question 10

What is TB?

Answer 10

A serious respiratory disease.

Question 11

How are elephants tested for TB?

Answer 11

Through a trunk wash.

Question 12

Can TB be passed between humans and animals?

Answer 12

Yes

Question 13

What was the aim?

Answer 13

To see if free contact, traditionally trained elephants can be trained to participate in a trunk wash by using positive reinforcement.

Question 14

What type of observation was it?

Answer 14

Controlled/Structured observation.

Question 15

What was the sample like?

Answer 15

5 female elephants.
4 juveniles and 1 adult.

Question 16

How old were the juvenile elephants and where were they from?

Answer 16

5-7 years old
Born at the stable

Question 17

How old was the adult elephant?

Answer 17

Estimated to be in her 50s

Question 18

Why were the elephants chosen for the study?

Answer 18

Docile, not currently pregnant or looking after a calf, and their mahouts were willing to take part in the study.

Question 19

What was the primary reinforcer?

Answer 19

Chopped banana

Question 20

What was the secondary reinforcer?

Answer 20

A short whistle blow

Question 21

Did they have a good diet and access to water?

Answer 21

Yes

Question 22

Where was the training done?

Answer 22

Indoors

Question 23

What times were there for training?

Answer 23

7:30AM - 10AM and 4PM - 7PM

Question 24

What did the mahouts do during the training?

Answer 24

They stood to the side and didn’t speak or signal to the elephants.

Question 25

What was the maximum length allowed between training sessions?

Answer 25

2 days

Question 26

How could elephants choose not to engage in a session?

Answer 26

By turning or walking away from the trainer.

Question 27

What were the three methods used to train the elephants for the trunk wash?

Answer 27

Capture, Lure, and Shaping.

Question 28

What is Capture?

Answer 28

Waiting for an elephant to perform a behavior naturally and then 'capturing' it by marking it with a reward.

Question 29

What is Lure?

Answer 29

For non-natural behaviors, an animal is 'lured' into a certain body position by placing a reward in a certain space.

Question 30

What is Shaping?

Answer 30

After Capture or Lure, rewards are given only for behaviors that are 'best'.

Question 31

What were the five behavioral tasks taught to the elephants?

Answer 31

Trunk here Trunk up Bucket Blow Steady

Question 32

What is 'trunk here'?

Answer 32

Elephant places end of trunk in trainer's hand.

Question 33

What is 'trunk up'?

Answer 33

Elephant lifts trunk upwards.

Question 34

What is 'bucket'?

Answer 34

Elephant places end of trunk in bucket.

Question 35

What is 'blow'?

Answer 35

Elephant exhales through trunk into bucket.

Question 36

What is 'steady"?

Answer 36

Elephant holds the position they were previously asked to do.

Question 37

What 3 tasks were discarded in the training process because they were not essential for the trunk wash?

Answer 37

targeting trunk down trunk out

Question 38

What was each task paired with after learning the individual behavior tasks?

Answer 38

A one-syllable verbal cue that had no meaning in English or Nepali.

Question 39

How was behavior chaining used?

Answer 39

Once all the individual tasks were learned, they were put together in sequences.

Question 40

How was a syringe introduced to the 'trunk here' task?

Answer 40

Through desensitization. Gradually brought closer and filled until the elephant could tolerate 60ml of saline.

Question 41

Why was one elephant switched to water for the behavioral task?

Answer 41

It preferred the saline and kept drinking it.

Question 42

How did they avoid the elephants drinking the water or saline during the session?

Answer 42

The elephants were offered drinks before each training session.

Question 43

How was the length of each training session recorded?

Answer 43

By an assistant, in minutes.

Question 44

How often were the elephants tested on previously taught behaviors?

Answer 44

After 10 sessions, they were tested approx. every 5 sessions.

Question 45

What was a passing score?

Answer 45

80%

Question 46

When was the training considered complete?

Answer 46

When the whole behavioral sequence hit 80% or higher.

Question 47

Did the elephants successfully learn the trunk wash?

Answer 47

The 4 juveniles did, but the adult elephant did not.

Question 48

What problems did elephants 2 &4 have?

Answer 48

Didn't pass their steady test.

Question 49

What is a reason for why elephant 5 couldn't complete the trunk wash?

Answer 49

Older, likely had vision impairment and trunk weakness. She was also distracted.

Question 50

What was the range of sessions needed for the elephants to learn the trunk wash?

Answer 50

25 - 35

Question 51

What was the mean success rate improvement from 10 sessions to 35 sessions?

Answer 51

36% to 89.3%

Question 52

What is a conclusion from the study?

Answer 52

Juvenile, free contact, traditionally trained elephants can be trained to participate in a trunk wash using only SPR training techniques.

Question 53

What is the GRAVE?

Answer 53

LMMMM

Question 54

What are 5 strengths of the study?

Answer 54

Decent reliability Good internal validity No demand characteristics Quantitative data Elephants treated well (ethics)

Question 55

What are 5 weaknesses of the study?

Answer 55

Small sample Low generalizability Iffy reliability (each elephant took a different amount of time) Ethical issues around mistreated animals Docile elephants - not their natural state