Positive Reinforcement Methods Flashcards
7 cards from real CDT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Positive Reinforcement Methods flashcards as text
What is 'counter-conditioning' and how does it differ from desensitization?
Answer: Counter-conditioning replaces a fear response with a positive emotional response; desensitization gradually reduces sensitivity through repeated low-level exposure
Desensitization reduces the intensity of a fear response through gradual exposure, while counter-conditioning pairs the feared stimulus with something positive to change the dog's emotional response.
A trainer clicks during a sit but the dog is in the process of standing up. What training principle has been violated?
Answer: Timing — the click reinforces the behavior occurring at the exact moment of the click
The click marks the precise moment of the behavior being reinforced, so clicking as the dog stands reinforces standing, not sitting.
Which of the following best describes 'behavioral momentum' in dog training?
Answer: Using a series of easy known behaviors before asking for a harder or new behavior
Behavioral momentum involves asking for a string of easy, well-known behaviors (high-probability responses) before requesting a harder behavior, increasing compliance.
What is the risk of using an intermittent reinforcement schedule too early in training a new behavior?
Answer: The behavior may extinguish because it hasn't been established strongly enough
New behaviors require a high, near-continuous rate of reinforcement to build strength before thinning to intermittent schedules.
What does it mean to 'poison a cue' in dog training?
Answer: Using a cue as a warning before a punisher is delivered, making the cue predict something aversive
A cue becomes poisoned when it has been repeatedly paired with aversives, causing the dog to feel fear or anxiety upon hearing it instead of eagerness.
In the LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) hierarchy, where should positive reinforcement fall?
Answer: First choice before any other quadrant or intervention
LIMA places positive reinforcement and other non-aversive methods first, requiring trainers to exhaust the least intrusive options before considering aversive techniques.
A dog performs a behavior correctly but then begins making more errors as the session continues. The most likely cause is:
Answer: Training fatigue, satiation, or criteria that were raised too quickly
Increasing error rates mid-session typically signal fatigue, reinforcer satiation, or that criteria were advanced too quickly, requiring a session break or a return to easier steps.