This badge signifies the completion of the course Distance as a Reinforcer: What Our New Paper Really Says about R-.

Sometimes the most important reinforcer is the one we overlook. This course takes you behind the scenes of our newly published peer-reviewed paper exploring distance as a reinforcer and what that means for animal welfare and training. Discover the real-world experiences that inspired the paper, how the peer-review process sharpened its ideas, and the practical concepts that emerged along the way. We explore why understanding behavioral function can open new opportunities for addressing fear and aggression, examine the role of negative reinforcement within a constructional approach framework, and explain why the way procedures are arranged has such a powerful influence on welfare outcomes. Through tiger and orangutan case studies, you’ll see how these scientific principles translate into practical strategies that can expand your training toolbox and inspire new ways of thinking about complex behavior challenges.

This course takes 1 hour to complete.