Free Dog Training Applied Learning Theory Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A dog trainer is teaching a 'sit' command. Every time the dog successfully sits, it immediately receives a small treat. Which schedule of reinforcement is being used?
- Fixed Ratio
- Variable Ratio
- Continuous Reinforcement (Correct answer)
- Fixed Interval
Correct answer: Continuous Reinforcement
Continuous Reinforcement (CR) is a schedule where every instance of a desired behavior is reinforced. This method is highly effective for teaching new behaviors because it creates a clear and immediate association between the action and the reward.
Question 2: A dog has learned to run to the door when it hears a specific doorbell sound. Now, it also runs to the door when it hears a similar, but not identical, sound from a television show. This is an example of:
- Stimulus Discrimination
- Spontaneous Recovery
- Operant Conditioning
- Stimulus Generalization (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Stimulus Generalization
Stimulus Generalization occurs when a response that has been conditioned to a specific stimulus is also elicited by other, similar stimuli. The dog has generalized its 'run to the door' response from the actual doorbell to a similar-sounding stimulus.
Question 3: To stop a dog from jumping on guests, the owner turns and walks away, ignoring the dog each time it jumps. The dog's jumping behavior decreases over time. Which of the four quadrants of operant conditioning does this represent?
- Positive Reinforcement
- Negative Punishment (Correct answer)
- Positive Punishment
- Negative Reinforcement
Correct answer: Negative Punishment
This is an example of Negative Punishment. Something the dog desires (attention from the owner) is removed ('negative') to decrease the likelihood of the jumping behavior ('punishment').
Question 4: Which of the following scenarios best illustrates classical conditioning?
- A dog learns to roll over by being rewarded with a treat each time it performs the behavior correctly.
- A dog stops pulling on the leash because the owner stops walking every time the leash becomes taut.
- A dog begins to salivate and get excited at the sound of the treat bag rustling, before any treat is visible. (Correct answer)
- A dog learns to stay on its mat for longer periods by receiving a click and a treat at variable time intervals.
Correct answer: A dog begins to salivate and get excited at the sound of the treat bag rustling, before any treat is visible.
Classical conditioning (or Pavlovian conditioning) involves forming an association between two stimuli, resulting in a learned response. The dog has learned to associate the neutral stimulus (the sound of the bag) with the unconditioned stimulus (the treat), causing a conditioned response (salivation and excitement).
Question 5: A dog that previously received a treat for barking at the mail carrier no longer receives a treat for this behavior. Initially, the dog's barking increases in intensity before it starts to fade. This temporary increase in the behavior is known as:
- An extinction burst (Correct answer)
- Spontaneous recovery
- Behavioral contrast
- Learned irrelevance
Correct answer: An extinction burst
An extinction burst is a common phenomenon during the extinction process where the frequency or intensity of the behavior temporarily increases before it begins to decrease. The dog increases its barking in an attempt to make the reinforcement (the treat) reappear.
Question 6: A trainer is teaching a dog to differentiate between a red ball and a blue ball. The dog is reinforced only for picking up the red ball. This process of teaching the dog to respond to one stimulus but not the other is called:
- Generalization
- Habituation
- Discrimination (Correct answer)
- Shaping
Correct answer: Discrimination
Discrimination is the process of learning to respond differently to similar stimuli. By reinforcing the choice of the red ball and not the blue one, the trainer is teaching the dog to discriminate between the two colors.
Free Dog Training Applied Learning Theory Questions and Answers 1
A dog trainer is teaching a 'sit' command.
Every time the dog successfully sits, it immediately receives a small treat.
Which schedule of reinforcement is being used?