Affiliation:
1. School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences The University of Adelaide Adelaide Australia
2. Smart Animal Training Systems Indianapolis IN USA
3. San Diego Humane Society San Diego California USA
Abstract
AbstractResponse‐independent schedules involve the delivery of an item independent of a response requirement. Often described in the applied behavior analytic literature as “noncontingent reinforcement,” they have also frequently been used to reduce undesired or problematic behaviors. The current study examined the use of an automated response‐independent food schedule on the behaviors and sound levels of shelter dogs. Several dogs were included in a 6‐week reversal design, where a fixed‐time 1 min schedule was compared with a baseline condition. Eleven behaviors were measured, as were two areas of each kennel and the overall and session sound intensity (dB) that occurred during the study. The results demonstrated that the fixed‐time schedule increased overall activity while decreasing inactivity and led to a reduction in the overall sound intensity measured. Session and hour‐to‐hour sound‐intensity data were less clear, suggesting a potential contextual conditioning effect as well as a need for adjusted methods to study shelter sound. The above are discussed in terms of their potential welfare benefits for shelter dogs as well as the translational approach that this and similar research could contribute to the application and functional understanding of response‐independent schedules.
Subject
Behavioral Neuroscience,Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献