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Episode - 30 July, 2021
Host: Barbara Heidenreich
Guests: Jesus Rosales-Ruiz, PhD and Mary Hunter, MS
What makes reinforcement effective? Sometimes the answer requires us to look beyond whether we are using positive or negative reinforcement and examine the contingencies already influencing behavior.
In this episode, I talk with behavior analysts Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and Mary Hunter about the science and practical application of reinforcement. We explore negative reinforcement and Constructional Aggression Treatment (C.A.T.), along with some fascinating examples from the laboratory—including training a cockroach! These examples help illustrate why what we observe in a controlled experiment may look quite different from what animal trainers experience in practical settings.
We also take a closer look at counterconditioning, function-based interventions, and why positive reinforcement may become more effective once we identify and address a negative reinforcement contingency that is already influencing behavior. This becomes especially relevant when working with fear and avoidance, where the animal may be behaving to escape or increase distance from something aversive.
Our conversation also explores an idea that can initially seem contradictory: positive reinforcement can sometimes be coercive. Jesús and Mary share relatable examples involving animals responding fearfully to novel objects and everyday household items and help us examine how barriers to genuine choice can occur even when positive reinforcement is being used.
This episode is a wonderful combination of behavioral science and practical application, and it left me thinking something I still find myself thinking quite often: I have so much more to learn!
Recommended Citation:
Heidenreich, B. (Producer/Writer). (2021, July). Effective Reinforcement with Jesus Rosales Ruiz and Mary Hunter. [Audio Podcast] Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich. https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/podcasts/effective-reinforcement-with-jesus-rosales-ruiz-and-mary-hunter/
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Video Mentioned in Podcast:
For more on applying this procedure with parrots see this webinar recording. Members have access to this course here.
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Guest Bios:
Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 1995 under the direction of Dr. Donald M. Baer. During his graduate training, he also worked closely with Dr. Ogden R. Lindsley. Dr. Rosales-Ruiz’s areas of interest include antecedent control of behavior, generalization, behavioral cusps, fluency-based teaching, treatment of autism, teaching of academic behavior, animal training, rule-governed behavior, and contingency-shaped behavior. He has served on several editorial boards, including the Journal of Precision Teaching, the European Journal of Behavior Analysis, and the International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy. Dr. Rosales-Ruiz is a fellow of the Eastern Psychological Association and a trustee of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.
Mary Hunter earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Chicago in 2008 and a master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas in 2013. She runs her own animal training and consulting business and serves as president of The Art and Science of Animal Training, a Texas-based nonprofit that provides educational programs for professional animal trainers. Mary teaches classes at the University of North Texas as an adjunct instructor. In 2017, she converted an upper-level undergraduate class into a self-paced, mastery-based course using Dr. Fred Keller’s Personalized System of Instruction. Mary’s main research interests include studying the process of shaping and developing better methods for teaching both people and animals.
About Barbara Heidenreich
Barbara Heidenreich is a zoologist and animal training and behavior consultant specializing in species managed in zoological facilities. She earned her B.S. in Zoology from the University of California, Davis. Barbara consults internationally with zoos, universities, veterinary professionals, and conservation programs and has worked onsite with more than 90 facilities in 30 countries.
In addition to her consulting work, Barbara serves as an Adjunct Instructor at Texas A&M University and operates AnimalTrainingFundamentals.com, a comprehensive online education program offering hundreds of courses on animal training and behavior. Her work focuses on applying behavior analysis to improve animal welfare through building behavior, contingency analysis, genuine choice, and constructional approaches to behavior change.
Barbara has authored two books, contributed to five textbooks, and co-authored two Fear Free® Avian Certification Courses. She advises the Animal Training Working Group and Parrot Taxon Advisory Group for the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and serves as Co-Chair and founding member of the Zoological Association of America’s Animal Training Committee. She has contributed to conservation projects including the Kakapo Recovery Program and the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation and has received seven awards from zoological trade organizations recognizing her contributions to the field.
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