Operant Conditioning

Question 1

What is Operant Conditioning?

Answer 1

A type of learning process where behaviors are modified by associating them with consequences

The learning of behaviors strengthening or weakening based on consequences (Law of Effect)

Antecedent (or stimulus)
Behavior (or response)
Consequences

Question 2

Skinner Box

Answer 2

an apparatus for studying operant conditioning in animals (typically rats or pigeons) in which the animal is isolated and provided with a lever or switch which it learns to use to obtain a reward, such as a food pellet, or to avoid a punishment, such as an electric shock.

Question 3

What are the four quadrants of learning

Answer 3

+P, -P, +R, -R

Question 4

What does +P mean?

Answer 4

Positive Punishment- something added intended to discourage a behavior

i.e. spraying a cat with water for scratching the couch

Question 5

What does -P mean?

Answer 5

Taking away something the dog wants or enjoys as a consequence for performing an undesirable behavior

i.e. if your dog jumps up on you, you could turn your back and walk away, removing your attention as a negative punishment for the jumping behavior.

Question 6

What does +R mean?

Answer 6

Positive Reinforcement- Rewarding good behavior to encourage it’s continuation

i.e. treat a dog that sits

Question 7

What does -R mean?

Answer 7

Negative Reinforcement- a technique that encourages a desired behavior by removing something unpleasant.

i.e. Releasing pressure on the leash when the dog stops pulling

Spunky chews on a bone and when another dog approaches he growls and the dog goes away.

Pushing a dogs butt until he sits and when he does sit the pressure of your hand is removed.

“Makes the bad thing go away”

Question 8

What is Operant Counter Conditioning?

Answer 8

Is a training technique that teaches a new behavior to replace an unwanted one. It involves changing a person or animal’s emotional response to a stimulus.

How it works-

Identify the unwanted behavior: For example, a dog that barks and lunges at other dogs

Train an incompatible behavior: For example, teach the dog to watch you instead of barking

Associate the new behavior with a positive outcome: For example, reward the dog with praise when it watches you instead of barking

Question 9

Voluntary Response

Answer 9

A behavior that is learned through OC

Skinners operant conditioning allows external stimulus to be associated with a voluntary response

When you teach your dog to sit the verbal cue “sit” has a positive consequence, such as a treat. Sitting is a VOLUNTARY response

Question 10

Differential Reinforcement of Excellent Behavior (DRE)

Answer 10

Nit Pick

You reward the dog only when they are giving you a certain behavior following whatever specific criteria you’ve established

i.e. reward a dog for a sit only if he is sitting solidly on the floor chest facing front and with the dog giving you full eye contact

Question 11

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)

Answer 11

Gives a little more leeway because you are asking and rewarding for ANY other behavior except the one the dog is doing

i.e. would be to set a timer and reward a dog with a treat if they remain calm and sitting on their bed for the entire duration of the timer, essentially reinforcing the absence of unwanted behaviors like barking or pacing during that time, instead of just punishing the unwanted behaviors when they occur; this way, the dog learns to actively choose to stay calm for a set period to receive a reward.

Question 12

Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI)

Answer 12

Similar to DRA …Alternative behavior but you want to specifically reinforce a behavior that is not compatible with the inappropriate behavior.

i.e. Reward sit not jump, mouthy dog carries a toy

Question 13

Differential Reinforcement of Alternate Behavior (DRA)

Answer 13

Dogs cant do two behaviors at once. Instead of lunging @ guest ask what do you want to do=go lay on bed

Using +R we ask the dog to do some alternate behavior

i.e. touch hand vs bark at dogs, Go to crate vs jump on someone

Question 14

OC Reinforcement Schedules

Answer 14

Continuous reinforcement schedule

Intermittent reinforcement schedule
FI, VI, FR, VR

Question 15

Variable Ratio (VR)

Answer 15

Rewarding after an unknown or unpredictable number of responses

i.e. The dog must sit twice, then five times, then three times, etc. before getting a treat

High and steady response rate and the most resistant of extinction

Question 16

In intermittent reinforcement schedule what does RATIO and INTERVAL stand for?

Answer 16

“RATIO” refers to the number of responses required before reinforcement is given

“INTERVAL” refers to the amount of time that must pass before reinforcement is given

Essentially, ratio is based on behavior count, and interval is based on time elapsed.

Question 17

Fixed Interval (FI)

Answer 17

A behavior will be reinforced only after a set, predetermined amount of TIME has passed since the last reinforcement, regardless of how many times the behavior is performed during that interval; essentially, the reward is given after a fixed time period has elapsed, not based on the number of responses made

I.e. rewarding a dog every 5 min that they stay calmly on the bed, regardless of how many times they got up; essentially the dog is reinforced for staying calm for a consistent time interval.

Most susceptible of extinction

Question 18

Fixed Ratio (FR)

Answer 18

Rewarding after a set or predictable number of responses.

i.e. Dog sits three times before getting rewarded

Question 19

Variable Interval (VI)

Answer 19

Dog is rewarded after an unpredictable time has elapsed.

i.e. The dog may be rewarded for holding a sit for 5 secs or 8 secs or 3 secs

Question 20

Continuous Reinforcement Schedules (CRF)

Answer 20

Every time a dog gives a correct response the dog is rewarded

Usually in the beginning of learning

Question 21

What does Punishment do?

Answer 21

Decreases a behavior

Question 22

What does reinforcement do?

Answer 22

Increases the behavior

Question 22

What are the five consequences of behavior?

Answer 22

Neutral- no consequence
+P, -P, +R, -R

Question 23

What is the difference between -R and -P?

Answer 23

In dog training, negative reinforcement increases a desired behavior by removing something unpleasant, while negative punishment decreases an undesired behavior by removing something the dog likes

Question 24

How Extinction differs from -P?

Answer 24

In -P you do not need a reinforcement history.

Question 25

"No reward marker" or "signal of no reward"

Answer 25

An established conditioned negative punisher. In established, conditioned negative punishment in dog training, a dog learns that a specific action or behavior results in the removal of a desirable or valued stimulus, ultimately leading to a reduction in the frequency of that behavior i.e. If your dog starts to jump up on you, and you immediately stop petting them or engaging with them, you've removed a positive stimulus (attention), thus punishing the jumping behavior. If you're walking your dog on a leash and they start pulling, you can stop walking and stand still, removing the forward movement, which the dog likely desires. If your dog is biting during play, and you immediately stop playing with them or ignore them, you are punishing the biting behavior.

Question 26

What is instinctive drift in dog training?

Answer 26

In dog training, "instinctive drift" (also known as "instinctual drift") refers to a dog's tendency to revert to their natural, instinctual behaviors, even after being trained to perform a specific behavior through operant conditioning, as the learned behavior erodes. Example: Imagine training a dog to sit quietly when a guest enters. However, under stress or excitement, the dog might disregard the learned behavior and start barking at the guest, exhibiting their natural, instinctual behavior of barking at perceived intruders Why it happens: Instinctive drift highlights the biological limitations of conditioning and the powerful influence of a dog's natural instincts and evolutionary history Breland's Research: The term "instinctive drift" was coined by Keller and Marian Breland in their 1961 article, "The Misbehavior of Organisms," where they discussed how trained animals sometimes revert to instinctual behaviors, even after being conditioned Predatory Drift: A specific example of instinctual drift in dogs is "predatory drift," where a dog's natural hunting and prey-drive instincts override their training, leading to behaviors like stalking, chasing, or biting, especially when encountering small, fast-moving animals or other dogs. Implications for Training: Understanding instinctive drift is crucial for dog trainers and owners. It suggests that training should be based on understanding a dog's natural behaviors and instincts, rather than solely relying on operant conditioning

Question 27

Which training concept is most associated with Dr. Susan Friedman

Answer 27

The Humane Hierarchy and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for animal training

Question 28

Which of the trainers emphasized the importance of choice and agency in training animals?

Answer 28

B. Susan Friedman. Friedman’s work emphasizes empowering animals with choice and control, which increases learning and reduces stress.

Question 29

Who were the Brelands and what was their significance in learning theory?

Answer 29

Students of Skinner who applied operant principles to real-world animal training They literally helped create modern applied animal training, training animals for TV, advertising, and zoos with clickers and operant shaping long before it was mainstream.

Question 30

What did Keller Breland and Marian Breland discover during their commercial animal training work that surprised even Skinner?

Answer 30

Some instincts overpowered learned behavior – “instinctive drift” This was a huge discovery—sometimes natural, species-specific behavior interrupts operant-trained behavior, even when reinforcement is strong.

Question 31

What is Jean Donaldson best known for in dog training and behavior?

Answer 31

Writing "The Culture Clash" and promoting dog-friendly, science-based training Yes! Jean Donaldson’s book shook up traditional training, showing how dogs aren't trying to "dominate" but simply respond to reinforcement history. She also founded Academy for Dog Trainers.

Question 32

Which trainer is recognized for their deep work in shaping behavior through small, successive approximations in high-performance training systems?

Answer 32

Bob Bailey Bob Bailey is legendary for his microscopic-level shaping and precision training, especially in military, commercial, and zoo contexts.

Question 33

What are the stages of operant conditioning?

Answer 33

Acquisition Generalization/Discrimination 5 “D’s” Stimulus control/Fluency 1. Acquisition The learner is first introduced to the behavior. The goal is to teach the behavior by reinforcing approximations (often using shaping or luring). The focus is on helping the animal understand what behavior earns reinforcement. 2. Fluency The learner performs the behavior more quickly, accurately, and consistently. The behavior becomes more reliable and efficient. Fewer prompts or cues are needed, and response latency is reduced. 3. Generalization The behavior is performed in a variety of contexts, environments, and with different people or distractions. The goal is for the behavior to occur under different conditions, not just in the original training context. 4. Maintenance The behavior continues over time without frequent reinforcement. Intermittent reinforcement schedules may be used. Reinforcement is still necessary occasionally to keep the behavior strong. 5. Resistance to Extinction The behavior becomes robust enough to persist even if reinforcement is temporarily unavailable. The learner doesn’t immediately stop the behavior when reinforcement is delayed or absent for a time.

Question 34

The "5 Ds" in operant conditioning typically refer to five stages or factors that influence successful training under distraction and in various conditions. They're commonly used by dog trainers to help generalize behavior and build reliability. These stages are:

Answer 34

Distance – How far the trainer or the distraction is from the dog. Duration – How long the dog must perform or maintain a behavior (e.g., stay). Distraction – The presence and intensity of competing stimuli in the environment. Direction – The position or movement of the trainer relative to the dog, or the direction of the behavior (e.g., heel position, facing away). Density – The number or frequency of repetitions, cues, or reinforcements in a session (sometimes called “difficulty” or replaced with “diversity” depending on the source).