Transcript What not to pair

What Not to Pair:
The consequence of mixing consequences
Kathy Sdao, MA, ACAAB
www.kathysdao.com
Is there a training mistake you can’t fix?
In clicker training, is there any way you might
inadvertently cause permanent damage to your
animal’s future ability to learn?
When you change the emotional meaning of
punishers or of reinforcers
It’s easy to change the affective
meaning of reinforcers & punishers

Classical conditioning is responsible.

The “emotional contagion” of sequential stimuli

Pavlov conditioned dogs to feel happy when
they heard a bell which had been followed
many times by food

Dogs learn to love the sound of cellophane
or the sight of a leash
Classical (or Pavlovian)
conditioning
Forms an association between 2 stimuli:
Stimulus 1 has no intrinsic meaning
= Conditional Stimulus (CS)
Stimulus 2 has intrinsic meaning
= Unconditional Stimulus (US)
Animal’s behavior is a reflex
CS + US  B (reflex)
Timing Matters in Classical Conditioning
DELAYED
TRACE
0.5 sec
1.o sec
1.5 sec
2.0 sec
SIMULTANEOUS
0.5 sec
1.o sec
1.5 sec
0.5 sec
1.o sec
1.5 sec
2.0 sec
BACKWARD
2.0 sec
0.5 sec
1.o sec
1.5 sec
2.0 sec
Timing Matters in Classical Conditioning
DELAYED
TRACE
0.5 sec
1.o sec
1.5 sec
2.0 sec
SIMULTANEOUS
0.5 sec
1.o sec
1.5 sec
0.5 sec
1.o sec
1.5 sec
2.0 sec
BACKWARD
2.0 sec
0.5 sec
1.o sec
1.5 sec
2.0 sec
The emotional value of the US spreads
backward to “infect” the CS.
After pairings of “CS followed by US,” the emotion
the animal feels in response to the US will become
the way it feels about the CS.
= the CS takes on the emotional value of the US
In some cases, the animal’s physiological reaction to
the CS will differ from its reaction to the US.
Example: A rat’s response to shock is to abruptly
increase activity, whereas its response to a tone
that signals the shock is to reduce activity.
Ruining punishers
If you repeatedly reinforce a dog immediately
after you’ve punished him, that punishment
will become a reinforcer.

yell at dog for chewing furniture, then quickly
praise him for stopping
(= “Jekyll & Hyde” routine)

leash-pop dog for pulling, then CT for heeling
Don’t clicker trainers avoid using
punishers?
Yes, certainly.
But it’s essential to preserve the power of humane
punishers to suppress behavior.
Worst-case scenario:
We decide to use an occasional punisher as part
of a carefully planned “set-up,” but find it actually
increases the unwanted behavior!
Can you intentionally “defuse” a
potential punisher?
Yes!

You can teach dog that yelling or fur-tugging or
collar-grabbing is actually a predictor of yummy
food, or a game of tug, or a romp outside.

Tight leash = good stuff for dog
Ruining reinforcers
If you repeatedly punish a dog immediately after
you’ve offered food or a toy, that reinforcer will
become a punisher.

Giving a food lure followed by a nail trim

Using steak pieces to lure your hesitant dog
onto the teeter

Smearing peanut butter on your refrigerator
so dog can lick it while you brush matted fur
(continued)

Giving a very anxious dog a Kong™ stuffed with
cheese & biscuits just before you leave for work

Feeding a leash-aggressive dog pieces of chicken as
soon as you notice a dog approaching

Passing cookies out to strangers so they can feed
and then pet your shy puppy
Human example:
Amy Dickinson’s advice regarding mother-in-law
“My dog isn’t food motivated.”
Actually, many dogs have learned to distrust the
cue of “owner offers me special food in her
hand.”
Keep reinforcers & punishers
unambiguous!

Don’t follow food, toys, play, praise or click
with anything dog considers scary.

Don’t follow reprimands, corrections, squirts, or
shocks with anything the dog values.

Separate reinforcement & punishment by a pause.
How long should the pause be?
At least 5 seconds, but preferably +20–30 seconds
Thank you!