|
| Taming the Domestic Beast: Shaping Friendly Behavior in Aggressive Dogs and Feral Cats with Negative Reinforcement |
| Monday, May 26, 2008 |
| 1:30 PM–2:50 PM |
| Chicago & Alton |
| Area: EAB; Domain: Basic Research |
| Chair: Kristy Muir (University of North Texas) |
| Discussant: Philip N. Hineline (Temple University) |
| Abstract: Shaping with negative reinforcement has seldom been studied and used in applied research. This is partly because of the ethical dilemmas that arise from the use of not very sophisticated procedures that rely on unnecessary degrees of aversive stimulation as well as the problems associated with competing responses evoked by the aversive stimulation used. However, shaping with negative reinforcement does not necessarily have to be that way. This symposium will show an experimental analysis of a procedure to shape alternative behaviors to aggression and avoidance in dogs and cats with minimal aversiveness (i.e., at least no more than is required in systematic desensitization procedures). The first presentation will review the current basic and applied research on the use of negative reinforcement during shaping. The second presentation will show an experimental study of the use of negative reinforcement to shape friendly behavior in aggressive dogs. The third presentation will show the application of the same shaping procedure used with dogs to shape friendly behavior in feral and fearful cats. |
| |
| Shaping with Negative Reinforcement: Problems and Solutions. |
| JESUS ROSALES-RUIZ (University of North Texas), Kellie S. Snider (University of North Texas), Angela Drake (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: The strategies and guidelines to shape with negative reinforcement are not different than the ones used with positive reinforcement. That is, one will still specify terminal behavior, the beginning behavior, the steps or approximations to the terminal behavior, the maintaining consequences and focus on reinforcing movement. In shaping with negative reinforcement, however, the nature of the response to be shaped, the consequences used, the experimental space used, and the nature of the incompatible responses generated by the procedures require some special considerations. This paper will present a review of the current problems of shaping with negative reinforcement and the solutions offered. The presentation will offer guidelines for the humane and ethical application of shaping procedures using negative reinforcement. |
| |
| From Aggressive to Friendly: Shaping Sociable Behavior in Aggressive Dogs with Negative Reinforcement. |
| KELLIE S. SNIDER (University of North Texas), Jesus Rosales-ruiz (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: Aggression in dogs is a significant public health concern with 7.2 mortality cases per 100 million inhabitants (Di Donato, Ricci, Panarese, & Turillazzi, 2006) and approximately 4.7 million dog bites annually (Sacks, 1996). Canine aggression is typically viewed as a genetic trait and treated as pathology through the use of medical or respondent behavioral procedures (e.g. Saetre, Strandberg, Sundgren, Pettersson, Jazin & Bergsrom, 2006). In this study we evaluated the effects of the differential negative reinforcement of safe, alternative behaviors to aggression using distancing as the reinforcer. Aggressive dogs were tethered on 6 foot leashes. During the procedure the experimenter walked toward the dog until the dog performed an aggressive behavior. She stood still until the behaviors stopped, then walked away contingent upon a desirable behavior such as looking toward the owner, or turning away from the experimenter. To evaluate the shaping procedure a multiple baseline across five dogs was used. The results demonstrated that even when the aggression was in evidence throughout most of the dog’s lifetime, it responded readily to changes in reinforcement contingencies. Positive results were seen between 36 minutes to about 2 hours. |
| |
| From Feral to Friendly: Shaping “Tameness” In Felines with Negative Reinforcement. |
| ANGELA DRAKE (University of North Texas), Jesus Rosales-ruiz (University of North Texas) |
| Abstract: In most animal shelters, feral felines that are relinquished to the shelter are subsequently euthanized. The development of a procedure for “taming” feral and fearful felines has the potential to save lives. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of an errorless shaping procedure using negative and positive reinforcement for “taming” feral and fearful felines. Taming includes training a feline to allow people to approach it and brush it and training the feline to approach people and to allow people to pet it. The participants included feline subjects of any breed or sex that were less than a year of age. During the procedure the experimenter walked toward the cat until the cat performed an aggressive behavior. She stood still until the behaviors stopped, then walked away contingent upon a desirable behavior such as looking away, or turning away from the experimenter. To evaluate the shaping procedure a multiple baseline across four cats was used. The results showed that shaping with negative was an effective method for taming the subjects in this study. The treatment took anywhere from 70 to 161 trials or about 1 to 3 hours. |
|
| |