Thursday, March 17, 2016
Final Thoughts
Overall the training was a good experience. If you would have told me at the beginning of the semester that I would be comfortable even feeding a live rat I would have not believe you. Although I definitely don't think I'm cut out for animal training, I am proud of myself for having the courage to work by myself. I got so comfortable with Ruby and fact that I would sometimes forget to wash my hands after holding her! Although I did Sniffy training before I began training Ruby and magazine training with Sniffy went so well that I thought the same or similar would be the case for Ruby. Yes we had a few bumps in the road but overall the experience was beneficial and informative.
Ruby vs. Sniffy
In general, I found the Sniffy program to be very useful in my understanding of how to properly train a rat via operant conditioning. However I don't believe that sniff these training gave me as good of an understanding when it comes to The time and amount of commitment and patients necessary to train a live rat. However, the extent to which I would need time, commitment, and training was definitely not the same for Sniffy and Ruby. Magazine training Ruby was very different than magazine training Sniffy. Sniffy took approximately 30mins, but unfortunately Ruby's training took almost 4 times that amount of time (112mins). Sniffy's training for FR1 schedule of reinforcement took approximately 105 mins, whereas Ruby's training for FR1 took about 180mins. Interestingly, Ruby's training for FR2 actually took slightly less time, approximately 54mins total, while Sniffy's FR2 training took about 63mins.
Cumulative Record for Sniffy FR2
Cumulative Record for Ruby FR2
Strengths of Sniffy:
- The Sniffy book gives a fantastic explanation of operant conditioning and gives step by step, easy to follow instructions on how to shape sniffy.
- I definitely felt more comfortable with the conditioning termonology and processes after completing the Sniffy Training.
- Not super time consuming and efficient
Weaknesses of Sniffy:
- Not exactly an accurate representation of how quickly our rats will learn.
- The data complied for Sniffy is not able to be used in research
Strengths of live training:
- Can be used in research
- Gives actual hands on experience which helps students understand how long it actually takes to train an animal
Weaknesses of live training:
- Extremely time consuming
- Results take much longer to show up.
Would reccomend for future classes.
Graphs and Extinction
Extinction
Extinction is the process of extinguishing a behavior that is previously learned. For Ruby extinction involves attempting to terminate her association that pressing the bar results in a yummy reinforcement. The overall goal for extinction is to decrease and eventually eliminate Ruby's bar pressing behavior.
I didn't expect Ruby to respond well to extinction, but I could have never surmised how poorly she would actually respond. The first day of extinction, Ruby seemed very upset when reinforcement was not given when she pressed the bar. She would regularly jump on the bar in an attempt to receive food. For the first 15 mins or so she was doing basically every behavior that I had rewarded in the past including sticking her head all the way in the food magazine and repeatedly rearing up around the box.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Challenges Along the Way
The problems I had with Ruby were mainly with magazine training. I did Sniffy training before I began training Ruby. Magazine training with Sniffy went so well that I thought the same or similar would be the case for Ruby. However, that simply wasn't the case given that Ruby's training took almost 4 times as Sniffy's training.One major setback that I experienced while training Ruby was when the individual training before me left chocolate pellets from their training in the food magazine. Ruby became satiated after 10mins, and I think it really had an effect on why magazine training took me so long. From that day forward, I always checked the food magazine before every session.
It was also challenging to make time in my busy schedule to train Ruby. I tried to train her at the same time every day, but there were just some days that I wasn't able to train her at 3:30 PM. My training could have definitely improved had I been able to train at the exact same time everyday.
I think the most challenging situation that I encountered was when Ruby escaped in the holding room. I had just gotten done weighing Ruby and when I opened the top to the tin box on the scale, she jump out and started scurring around the room. I immediately shut the door and attempted to catch her. Every time I would get ahold of Ruby, she would leap out of my hands. It took me a good 10 minutes to finally catch her. Needless to say, it was a traumatic experience for both of us!
It was also challenging to make time in my busy schedule to train Ruby. I tried to train her at the same time every day, but there were just some days that I wasn't able to train her at 3:30 PM. My training could have definitely improved had I been able to train at the exact same time everyday.
I think the most challenging situation that I encountered was when Ruby escaped in the holding room. I had just gotten done weighing Ruby and when I opened the top to the tin box on the scale, she jump out and started scurring around the room. I immediately shut the door and attempted to catch her. Every time I would get ahold of Ruby, she would leap out of my hands. It took me a good 10 minutes to finally catch her. Needless to say, it was a traumatic experience for both of us!
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Partial Schedules of Reinforcement
After about 6 days of training Ruby on a continuous reinforcement schedule of Fixed Ratio 1 (every time Ruby would press the bar she would receive a reinforcement) I put Ruby on a partial reinforcement schedule of Fixed Ratio 2, which means that Ruby will receive a reinforcement every 2 times she presses the bar. Although continous reinforcement is best for shaping a behavior quickly, partial reinforcement schedules strengthen resistance to extinction.
Goal: To switch Ruby from a FR1 schedule of reinforcement to other partial reinforcement schedules (FR 2, 3, 4) in order to strengthen her resistance to extinction
Procedure: The procedure for the partial schedules of reinforcement is basically the same as FR 1. The difference simply being a different option to select on the computer program for each schedule of partial reinforcement. I will begin Ruby on and FR2 to schedule a reinforcement and continue to stay on that schedule of reinforcement until Ruby has received at least 60 reinforcements for that day. Once Ruby has reached 60 reinforcements I will go on to a FR3.
FR 2 Days 1 and 2
Ruby appeared to be frustrated and confused once she was put on FR2 schedule of reinforcement. The first day of FR2 training involved Ruby pressing The bar and looking into the food magazine more frequently. Ruby would often press the bar a couple of times and then check the magazine, but today she checked the magazine almost every time she pressed the bar. There were a few times that we wouldn't receive a reinforcement for pressing the bar and she would go into the front left corner. I like furring to it as her "thinking corner" because she tends to go there when something in the training is frustrating her. It's almost as if she is contemplating her next move. Ruby was super close to receiving 60 reinforcements (112 bar presses), but I decided to keep her on FR2 for one more day to ensure she gets at least 60 reinforcements. On the second day of FR2, Ruby appeared to be becoming more accustomed to the FR2 schedule and received well over 60 reinforcements (107 to be exact).
FR 3 Day 1
Today I switched Ruby's schedule of reinforcement from an FR2 to an FR 3, meaning that Ruby will now recieve a reinforcement every 3rd time she presses the bar. Ruby's behavior was similar today to her behavior on the first day of FR2. She seemed confused and frustrated at first but gradually became more comfortable with the pattern of reinforcement
Goal: To switch Ruby from a FR1 schedule of reinforcement to other partial reinforcement schedules (FR 2, 3, 4) in order to strengthen her resistance to extinction
Procedure: The procedure for the partial schedules of reinforcement is basically the same as FR 1. The difference simply being a different option to select on the computer program for each schedule of partial reinforcement. I will begin Ruby on and FR2 to schedule a reinforcement and continue to stay on that schedule of reinforcement until Ruby has received at least 60 reinforcements for that day. Once Ruby has reached 60 reinforcements I will go on to a FR3.
FR 2 Days 1 and 2
Ruby appeared to be frustrated and confused once she was put on FR2 schedule of reinforcement. The first day of FR2 training involved Ruby pressing The bar and looking into the food magazine more frequently. Ruby would often press the bar a couple of times and then check the magazine, but today she checked the magazine almost every time she pressed the bar. There were a few times that we wouldn't receive a reinforcement for pressing the bar and she would go into the front left corner. I like furring to it as her "thinking corner" because she tends to go there when something in the training is frustrating her. It's almost as if she is contemplating her next move. Ruby was super close to receiving 60 reinforcements (112 bar presses), but I decided to keep her on FR2 for one more day to ensure she gets at least 60 reinforcements. On the second day of FR2, Ruby appeared to be becoming more accustomed to the FR2 schedule and received well over 60 reinforcements (107 to be exact).
First Day of FR2
Cumulative Record of FR2 Day 1
FR 3 Day 1
Today I switched Ruby's schedule of reinforcement from an FR2 to an FR 3, meaning that Ruby will now recieve a reinforcement every 3rd time she presses the bar. Ruby's behavior was similar today to her behavior on the first day of FR2. She seemed confused and frustrated at first but gradually became more comfortable with the pattern of reinforcement
Shaping Up Nicely
Over-all goal for Shaping: Gradually reward Ruby for acts that will eventually lead her to receive reinforcement on her own by pressing a bar that distributes the chocolate pellet (reinforcer).
Goal for Shaping Days 4-7: To successfully reinforce Ruby every time she is near the bar then raising the criteria the more she associates the bar with reinforcement.
Procedure : I will begin by rewarding Ruby every time she consumes the reinforcement then looks to the left (where the bar is located) . I will then raise the criteria to where Ruby will receive a reinforcement when rearing up anywhere in the front half of the box. Following, I will reinforce Ruby anytime she rears up over the bar (even if she doesn't touch it). Finally, I'll reinforce Ruby only when she touches the bar. Hopefully, she is able to press the bar on her own to receive reinforcement.
Shaping Day 4 and 5
Fortunately for me, Ruby is pressing the bar about the same as the other rats. It is encouraging to me that Ruby is preforming at the same level as the others, simply because I thought we were behind because magazine training took so long. Ruby has continued to improve each day and I am very encouraged by that. By the end of day 5 Ruby was not longer pressing the bar by jumping up on her hind legs. Instead she was pressing the bar with her paws.
Ruby is finally at the point where I can just watch her press the bar and not have to manually reinforce her. As soon as I put her in the operant box she runs straight to the food magazine then once she discovers there isn't any food she begins pressing the bar. Her typical bar pressing behavior involves pressing the bar and then retrieving one pellet at a time, but occasionally she will press the bar multiple times then retrieve the pellets she's accumulated. I plan on transferring her to a fixed ratio 2 schedule of reinforcement tomorrow.
Overall, the shaping process has been a very good experience. Ruby did much better learning to press the bar than I thought she would based on her magazine training. It took 7 days for me to feel comfortable moving on to an FR 2, but Ruby eventually achieved the shaping goal (to press the bar in order to receive reinforcement). The shaping process with Ruby was closer to the class/book discussion of shaping than was the books description of magazine training. Ruby's training took a little longer than the book's description, but overall it was a successful experience!
Goal for Shaping Days 4-7: To successfully reinforce Ruby every time she is near the bar then raising the criteria the more she associates the bar with reinforcement.
Procedure : I will begin by rewarding Ruby every time she consumes the reinforcement then looks to the left (where the bar is located) . I will then raise the criteria to where Ruby will receive a reinforcement when rearing up anywhere in the front half of the box. Following, I will reinforce Ruby anytime she rears up over the bar (even if she doesn't touch it). Finally, I'll reinforce Ruby only when she touches the bar. Hopefully, she is able to press the bar on her own to receive reinforcement.
Shaping Day 4 and 5
Fortunately for me, Ruby is pressing the bar about the same as the other rats. It is encouraging to me that Ruby is preforming at the same level as the others, simply because I thought we were behind because magazine training took so long. Ruby has continued to improve each day and I am very encouraged by that. By the end of day 5 Ruby was not longer pressing the bar by jumping up on her hind legs. Instead she was pressing the bar with her paws.
Shaping Day 5
Shaping Day 6 and 7Ruby is finally at the point where I can just watch her press the bar and not have to manually reinforce her. As soon as I put her in the operant box she runs straight to the food magazine then once she discovers there isn't any food she begins pressing the bar. Her typical bar pressing behavior involves pressing the bar and then retrieving one pellet at a time, but occasionally she will press the bar multiple times then retrieve the pellets she's accumulated. I plan on transferring her to a fixed ratio 2 schedule of reinforcement tomorrow.
Shaping Day 7
Results/DiscussionOverall, the shaping process has been a very good experience. Ruby did much better learning to press the bar than I thought she would based on her magazine training. It took 7 days for me to feel comfortable moving on to an FR 2, but Ruby eventually achieved the shaping goal (to press the bar in order to receive reinforcement). The shaping process with Ruby was closer to the class/book discussion of shaping than was the books description of magazine training. Ruby's training took a little longer than the book's description, but overall it was a successful experience!
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