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Marine Mammal Training at SeaWorld
What kind of reinforcers do we use for marine mammals?
A rubdown is an example of a positive reinforcer.
SeaWorld trainers use food as a primary reinforcer during the training process. Other reinforcing stimuli for marine mammals include touching; squirting them with a water hose; rub-downs; giving them ice or floats to play with; and other visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli. Each animal may not respond in the same manner to the same reinforcer. Therefore, the trainer must learn which reinforcers are appropriate for each individual animal.
How can we communicate with a marine mammal?
Reinforcers are one way we communicate with marine mammals. the reinforcer lets the animal know when it has performed the desired behavior. It is important that an animal knows immediately when it performs the desired behavior. A delay of even a few seconds may accidentally reinforce an undesired behavior. Since we cannot always instantly reinforce an animal while it is performing, we need a signal to tell the animal, "Yes, you have done the behavior we expected form you."
The signal bridges the time lapse between the instant the animal performs the correct behavior and the instant it is reinforced for it. We refer to this signal as a bridge signal, and it is a conditioned reinforcer. The animal learns that when it hears the bridge signal, it can return to the trainer to receive a reinforcer. Here's how we teach an animal to recognize the bridge signal.
The bridge signal is a conditioned reinforcer. It may eventually become
reinforcing in itself.
Before giving an animal food, we introduce the bridge signal (usually a whistle for whales and dolphins and a light touch or the word "okay" or "good" for sea lions). The animal comes to associate that signal with being reinforced. Then, we offer the animal other reinforcers, and each time, present the bridge signal. Eventually, whenever the animal recognizes that signal, it perceives that it has done the behavior correctly and that it will be reinforced. The bridge signal is a conditioned reinforcer. It may eventually become reinforcing in itself. Often times no further reinforcer is necessary.
SeaWorld trainers recently began using a new method of communication with marine mammals, based on computer-generated tones that are transmitted under water.
How do you train an animal to do a new behavior?
To train an animal it is often helpful to lead the animal through a behavior in small steps. We can do this by using our hand. When the behavior takes place farther away, we use a tool called a target. A target is simply an extension of our arm. It is a focal point.
Just as a flagstick is a target that directs a golfer toward a golf hole, a target directs an animal toward a position or direction. For most animals, the target we use is a long stick with a float on one end. Of course, we first have to train an animal to follow the target.
How do you train an animal to follow a target?
We start by gently touching the target to the animal. We sound the conditioned reinforcer and reinforce the animal. We repeat this several times.
The next step is to position the target a few inches away from the animal. This time we wait for the animal to touch the target. By now the animal knows that whenever the target touches it, it gets reinforced, so it moves toward the target and touches it. We immediately sound the conditioned reinforcer and reinforce that animal. After several successful repetitions, we move the target a little farther away. When the animal touches it, we again sound the conditioned reinforcer and reinforce the animal. Soon we have the animal following the target. We can now use the target to lead the animal through small steps of a behavior.
How do you train an animal to do a complex behavior?
These three important steps -- reinforcers, communication, and target recognition -- are the basic building blocks of how we train marine mammals at SeaWorld. Once an animal learns this foundation, it applies it to learning new behaviors. Then we can train an animal to perform complex behaviors.
Most behaviors cannot be learned all at once, but develop in steps. This step-by-step learning process is called shaping.
Think of learning to ride a bicycle. Most of us started on a tricycle, went on to riding a two-wheeler with training wheels and eventually mastered a larger bicycle, maybe even one with multiple speeds. Each step toward the final goal of riding a bicycle is reinforcing. This step-by-step learning process is an example of shaping.
By reinforcing small steps, we can train an animal to perform complex behaviors. The animal is first reinforced for a natural movement that somewhat resembles the desired trained behavior. We reinforce the animal for each step toward the final goal of the finished behavior.
Here's an example of how we might train a dolphin to do a high jump: first, we reinforce it for touching a target on the surface of the water. Then we raise the target above the water a few inches and reinforce the animal for touching it. We continue to raise the target higher and higher above the water. Eventually the dolphin brings its entire body out of the water. We raise the target until it is at the high jump level. We reinforce each step toward the final goal of a high jump.
How does an animal know when to do a particular behavior?
In a show, an animal may perform several different behaviors. The animal needs a specific signal to know when to perform each behavior. We train an animal to associate a visual, auditory, or tactile signal with behaviors it already knows. A hand or verbal signal is paired with the stimulus that originally elicits the response. Marine mammals learn to discriminate between signals to determine which particular behavior the trainer expects.
What about unwanted behavior?
If we request a particular behavior and the animal does not respond, or the animal responds with undesired behavior, we remain motionless and silent for three seconds. Because we really don't always know what is reinforcing to marine mammals, any reaction has the potential to be reinforcing. After those three seconds, training resumes. We never force a situation, and we never punish an animal.
Introduction to Animal Behavior | Introduction to Animal Training | How Animals Learn | Marine Mammal Training At SeaWorld | The SeaWorld Auditory Cueing System | Why do We Train Animals? | Bibliography | Books For Young Readers
