Karen Pryor on Techniques of Behavior Modification - Book Report/Review Example

Running Head: ANIMALS & HUMANS Animals & Humans: Karen Pryor on Behaviorist Techniques of Behavior Modification Abstract The behaviorist approach to modifying human behavior has been criticized by many researchers. Yet, the experiments done with animals provide sufficient background for applying operant conditioning principles to human behavior in order to improve human relationships and resolve some burning problems in a variety of settings. Hence, the book “Don’t Shoot the Dog” is of double value: along with recommending how to train pets, it provides insight into techniques of shaping interpersonal relationships and building successful communication. Examples discussed in this paper illustrate how the same methods may be applied to change misbehavior of pets, as well as improve conditions of humans. The ways of applying Pryor’s principles to the author’s personal experience are explored. Keywords: operant conditioning procedures, behaviorist theory, behavior, misbehavior, methods, techniques, approaches, positive/negative reinforcement, cues, shaping, incompatible behavior, change of motive, punishment, animals, humans Animals & Humans: Karen Pryor on Behaviorist Techniques of Behavior Modification Karen Pryor’s book ‘Don’t Shoot the Dog’ is a recognized manual on behavioral training of pets. Yet, it is not just animals that can be trained with the help of behavioral approach. Humans, too, seem to respond well to methods and procedures of operant conditioning. Based on Skinner’s understanding of operant conditioning as a process of conditioning an animal/human to respond to certain signals which provide reinforcement of particular behavior (Skinner, 1991), the book explores a variety of techniques of behavior modification that have already been effectively used by the author in relation to both pets and humans. The author’s exploratory work is subject to one major aim – to teach people to apply psychological (behavioral) knowledge to real-life situations at home, in personal relationships, at work, in hospital, etc. In some way, the purpose of the book is to teach how to control the behavior of animals, one’s own behavior, and the behavior of one’s family members through making them act the way one needs. One may also say that the purpose of the book is to help people improve relationships with others through making the latter more meaningful and well-thought-out. Moreover, the book aims at helping people succeed in various life situations through effective communication and psychological control. Finally, the book undoubtedly means to increase the amount of future positive interactions and enhance the overall quality of communication through detailed explanations of practical applications of behavioral principles. My goal in this paper is to review the book “Don’t Shoot the Dog” and discuss how Pryor’s findings can be applied to my own life so that a meaningful behavior transformation takes place. To achieve my goal, I have logically arranged the paper in four main parts. In the first part, an accurate account of various (reinforcement) techniques that are used to modify the behavior of animals is provided. In the second part, I discuss how operant conditioning principles can be used for human conditions qualitative improvement. In the third part, I explore how the operational conditioning background can be used to change my life and improve interactions with people around. I end my review with the fourth part that sums up the whole paper and comments on the importance of Karen Pryor’s best-seller “Don’t Shoot the Dog”. Techniques to Modify Animal Behavior Negative reinforcement is a technique of animal behavior modification that can be used alternatively to punishment. Pryor describes this technique as using unpleasant stimuli to achieve the desirable mode of conduct. The examples of the effect of unpleasant stimuli use include controlling the behavior of a horse. Specifically, the horse will predictably turn left just because her owner pulls her by the left rein. This can be explained by the pressure relief that the horse aims to get. Pryor explains that the same technique is used to operate elephants, camels, as well as other large animals that are used to carry heavy objects and transport things. In this case, animals try to avoid negative reinforcement that comes in the shape of rein pressure, a blow, etc. Yet, unpleasant stimuli need not be painful, since it may be enough to utilize their unpleasant effect even if it is fairly mild and can be felt only slightly. To illustrate, the author describes an occasion at some party when she employed negative reinforcement towards a white cat with long hair that kept jumping on her knees. Since a lot of hair was left on Pryor’s new black dress, she was not at all happy about the cat’s behavior. What she actually did was splashing little wine into the cat’s muzzle. Expectedly, that negative reinforcement technique worked well: the cat ran out of the room and never got back (Pryor, 1984). Another, more complicated, example of negative reinforcement use is its application to the case of llama training (Pryor, 2002, p. 6). Llama is recognized to be a half-domestic animal. Unless you have spend a lot of time with llama in her childhood, you may find it difficult to train her when she has already grown up. Yet, many people in the United States like llamas keep them and need special techniques of handling them. Pryor advises to use a clicker-based negative reinforcement technique in case llamas are too frightened to be reinforced with food. Specifically, one may use a clicker to communicate a certain message to the llama, which is: what you are doing is right, so now you have got a reinforcer. In reality, an unpleasant/aversive stimulus will be a man approaching llama. Therefore, it is important that this person moved farther each time/he/she has approached the animal a bit. In this case, Pryor says, a click may be employed to convey a signal that you are now standing still. Importantly, the fact that the person retreats each time helps to establish trust between the two. Llama allows touching her. Again, the click signals that food is here, which is the way for the animal to start being treated on a qualitatively new level – with the help of positive reinforcement, since food, as well as stroking, or other nice things refer to the means of the latter. Hence, Pryor proves that negative reinforcement is most effective when used along with the positive one. Despite being referred to as an alternative to punishment and a widespread approach to terrestrial animals training, negative reinforcement is deemed ineffective regarding sea animals. Pryor explains that it is impossible to control a dolphin with the help of a rein, so the latter will disappear somewhere under the water. Besides, negative reinforcement still contains some elements of punishment, which sea animals perceive as inacceptable (this has been also proved by studies of Caldwell & Caldwell, who contend that dolphins may even experience neurosis if negative reinforcement is used to train them) (Caldwell & Caldwell, 1972), (Pryor, 2002, p.7).Therefore, positive reinforcement should be used in training water animals, such as dolphins, whales, etc. In this context, Pryor provides an illustrative example of positive reinforcement technique effectively applied to modifying a dolphin’s behavior. This technique is based on recognizing that two incompatible kinds of behavior will not go together. In case with animals, the misbehavior is aligned with a new way of conduct which is positively reinforced with the help of food, for example. Specifically, Pryor recollects the situation when a large dolphin who participated in a marine show displayed misbehavior harassing a young girl-swimmer. Apparently, such misconduct was inappropriate and even dangerous for the swimmer’s life. Yet, the dolphin was the show’s star and it was decided to leave her in the show. Pryor and her colleagues found an interesting way to make the dolphin act the way they actually needed. In particular, the animal was asked to push a special lever and get a reward (food) for this. While the dolphin was doing the trick, she was no longer able to harass the swimmer who stayed in the water too. The success of this technique is evidently based on the dolphin’s inability to demonstrate two kinds of behavior at once and his opting for an activity which she has found more reinforcing (in this case it was pressing the lever and getting food for this) (Pryor, 2002, p.123). Pryor coined the name for this tricky approach - incompatible behavior training. Another example of animal behavior modification based on Skinner’s operant conditioning principles that Pryor provides in “Don’t Shoot the Dog” is related to putting a certain type of animals’ behavior on cue (Pryor, 2002, p.126). This method grounds on the ability of an animal to learn a particular cue that signals the beginning of some behavior. Consequently, when there is no cue, there is no behavior. Pryor describes how Deborah Skinner, an acquaintance of hers, taught her little dog not to whine behind the door. Deborah, the daughter of the famous behaviorist, invented an effective way of training her dog by making up a two-colored disc that she placed on the door. The dog then got trained to remember that if the black color was on, the hosts would no way open the door. On the contrary, if the white disk was placed, it meant the dog could be let in. This technique worked very well since the dog learnt to distinguish between the colors and did not bother itself whining and barking when it saw the black one. On the contrary, if Ms Skinner decided that it was enough for her pet to spend outdoors, she would place a different signal, and only after that allow the dog in. Thus, the examples discussed in this part of the paper illustrate how operant conditioning principles of the behaviorist theory can be used to modify animals’ behavior and bring positive changes to animals’ conduct. In particular, the examples with dogs, dolphins, horses, cats, and llamas have been discussed in which negative and positive reinforcement, putting animals’ behavior on cue, and employing incompatible behavior are described. Improving Human Condition The very first sentence of the introductory paragraph of “Don’t Shoot the Dog” contains the recognition of the book’s value for anyone, be it an animal or a human (Pryor, 2002, p. vi). In this part of the paper, I will focus on specific examples of improving human conditions with the help of behaviorist approach as illustrated by Pryor. Namely, I will discuss the techniques of extinction, motivational change, and shaping the absence of behavior. As for extinction, this is related to deliberate ignoring someone’s misconduct and allowing the undesired behavior disappear by itself. In other words, the reinforcer, which helped the misbehavior be successful, is taken away (Pryor, 2002, p. 71). This lets the misbehavior go away too. At its simplest, extinction takes place when a girl does not respond to her brother’s pulling her braid. On the contrary, if she displays any sign of annoyance or anger, the brother’s misbehavior gets reinforced. Another example of extinction used in a family setting is letting children calm down by themselves. In this case, parents should be guided by the fact that certain noise levels are harmless and thus may be easily accustomed to. A mother/father opts for waiting until children stop making noise because of getting bored (Pryor, 2002, p. 118). Extinction appears highly effective in transport, as well as personal relationships. If one encounters a rude driver, the recommended technique is to pay no attention to his behavior, get a ticket and forget about what has just happened. Similarly, if a husband comes back home annoyed, the best way to let his negative behavior go away is to display joyful attitude without responding to his angry remarks or dissatisfied tone. In this case, the husband’s misbehavior is not reinforced and it will most likely vanish by itself. On the contrary, if the wife opts for a different attitude – for example, keeping silence or hurling insults at her spouse – she risks getting into a conflict where a lot of emotional and physical health will be wasted. Motivational change is another method that may improve human conditions in a variety of situations and places. Indeed, as Pryor illustrates, by changing motivation or “the moving power” of a human, one may change his/her whole mode of behavior. For example, to calm your children down while driving somewhere, one sometimes will just need to provide them with some food: juice, biscuits, etc. since noise may be a result of kids’ getting hungry. This is how the change of motivation helped to improve human conduct. This approach seems to be highly effective in a business setting, where it may be more beneficial to pay for the work done, not hours spent doing something (Pryor, 2002, p.135). Eliminating the motivation that is not evidently seen but can be recognized may also be used while on a bus. Pryor advises to remove all possible underlying causes of the driver’s rudeness: not to ask multiple questions, not to stand in the way, to prepare change in advance, etc. Shaping misbehavior’s absence is one more highly recommended way of human conditions improvement. Specifically, Pryor asserts that anything which cannot be deemed an undesirable conduct should be reinforced. In a clinical setting, it helps to deal with desperate patients who are always complaining on their health problems, lack of money, etc. Pryor illustrates how she handled the case with her ailing mother who had to spend several years in a nursing home (Pryor, 2002, p. 134). Instead of responding to her mother’s complaints, accusations, etc in a negative manner, the researcher, first of all, chose to avoid supporting the discussion of these topics and then shaped the behavior that was desired by displaying keen interest in the topics that were “neutral”. To specify, she would unenthusiastically respond to anything related to undesired things, and show enthusiasm in discussing hospital news, friends, books, etc. This technique may also work well in maintaining self-discipline, as Pryor believes. To illustrate, if you hate writing thank-you letters, you may indulge yourself with a something you would be fond of, for example, going to the movies (Pryor, 2002, 137). In summary, human conditions can change in a positive way thanks to a variety of operant conditioning procedures explored by Karen Pryor. Whether it is at home, in hospital, or on a bus, application of methods employed for animal training transforms human relationship so that communication becomes more meaningful and harsh conflicts are avoided. Personal Application of Behaviorist Methods I have always had problems with making my younger brother keep his room tidy. What may be used from “Don’t Shoot the Dog” in this respect is Pryor’s “cue strategy.” The zoo psychologist advises to use this strategy in such complicated cases as my brother’s. So instead of quarreling and shouting at each other, I’d better come up to him one morning and ask to clean his room. If he refuses to do this in a rude and unfriendly manner, I will pause for a moment and let him understand that I am still waiting for his positive response. If he does not proceed with cleaning up the mess, I will still repeat my request in a reserved and friendly way. When he finally responds, I will thank him in a generous manner. Hopefully, next time I won’t need to repeat so many times. Another important technique that may well be applied to my life is rewarding myself for something unpleasant done. To illustrate, I do not like signing Christmas postcards as there are always lots of them. So I will probably indulge myself with a bar of chocolate or some other reward that will provide a stimulus or reinforcement for finishing the remaining part. Finally, I will surely employ the techniques discussed by Prior to modify my relationships with my relatives and friends. If my friend Ann happens to criticize her husband again, I will just show lack of interest so that her way of conduct goes away. Instead, I will support the conversation regarding any other topic that is interesting for us both. In addition, if it happens that my dad comes back home angry or furious, I will just keep going my usual way – without paying attention to his negative emotions. Conclusion In conclusion, Karen Pryor’s book “Don’t Shoot the Dog” has a tremendous potential to be used both in animal training and modifying human conduct. By employing her methods and techniques discussed above one can reap lots of positive changes in interpersonal relationships, at work, in hospital, and in various other settings. It means that human conditions can and need to be improved with the help of self-discipline and profound knowledge of how to respond in different life situations. References 1. Caldwell, D. & Caldwell, M. (1972) The World of the Bottlenosed Dolphin. Lippincott. 2. Pryor, K. (2002) Don’t Shoot the Dog!: the New Art of Teaching and Training. Interpret. 3. Pryor, K. (1984) Don't shoot the dog!: how to improve yourself and others through behavioral training. New York: Simon and Schuster. 4. Skinner, B. (1991) Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis. Appleton-Century-Crofts. Read More