The principles of classical and operant conditioning can be challenging for undergraduate students to grasp. Abstract concepts and traditional examples like salivating dogs or bar-pressing rats may not fully engage students or help them understand how these procedures influence everyday behavior. The television show Lucky Dog, hosted by Brandon McMillan, offers a compelling and accessible platform to illustrate the elements of operant conditioning within a compassionate context. Each episode follows McMillan as he trains abandoned dogs, destined for euthanasia, for adoption into new homes. While the narratives are emotionally engaging, the show’s true value lies in its clear demonstration of animal training techniques, providing practical examples for analyzing operant conditioning. Understanding operant conditioning is crucial for behavior change, but students often find technical jargon and complex principles difficult to comprehend. They may grasp basic reinforcement and punishment but become overwhelmed by concepts like shaping, extinction, discriminative cues, and reinforcement schedules. This assignment aims to deepen students’ understanding by having them analyze real-world applications of operant conditioning, complete with contextual cues, shaping procedures, and varied consequences, thereby fostering critical thinking and analytical skills.
In introductory psychology courses, students are assigned to watch two specific episodes of Lucky Dog and identify at least five examples of operant conditioning per episode. For each example, they must detail:
- The target behavior.
- The consequence, noting whether it is a reinforcer or punisher and its type.
- The direction of behavior change (increase or decrease).
- Any discriminative cues used to signal the target behavior.
- Any shaping procedures used to gradually achieve the desired behavior.
While many examples are straightforward, some require deeper analysis to isolate cues and consequences. For instance, one episode required students to identify the discriminative cue for “shadow walking.” This cue was not a verbal command or hand gesture but the trainer’s spontaneous pause while walking. Students also identified the shaping procedure (a leash tug) and the reinforcer (“Good dog!”) for the dog’s appropriate pause. Students often begin the assignment with apprehension, but they consistently perform well, even when tackling more complex episodes in their second viewing. Episodes featuring the training of dogs like “Kobe” and “Lily,” often available on YouTube, have been particularly effective for analysis.
McMillan’s training extends beyond basic commands like Sit, Stay, Down, Come, Off, Heel, and No. He also assesses the dog’s future environment to ensure a successful transition into its new home. This highlights the importance of behavior adaptation within a specific environmental context. Research indicates that the learning context can significantly influence operant responding, and changes in context can disrupt behavior even after extensive training. McMillan’s detailed examination of the owner’s environment and family needs adds another layer of understanding for students, prompting discussions about additional factors that influence operant conditioning’s success and the crucial element of matching a dog’s temperament to its owner.
Temperament differences are critical; a dog suitable for an elderly couple might not be ideal for a young child or someone with a physical handicap. Research on dog cognition emphasizes that these inherent temperament differences are vital considerations in how learning situations will unfold. Discussing temperament can also lead to conversations about individual differences in reinforcement preferences and instinctive drift, further enriching students’ comprehension of the operant conditioning paradigm. Indeed, understanding the animal mind is fundamental to identifying human uniqueness. Therefore, while core operant conditioning principles generalize across many situations, the organism’s inherent characteristics must always be considered.
Lucky Dog is part of the CBS Dream Team’s educational programming, blending information with engaging storytelling to capture viewer attention—the first step in learning. This engagement allows students to notice details and formulate hypotheses about conditioning elements that might be missed in a traditional lecture. Studies suggest that when students feel empathy and familiarity with the subjects, they are more likely to find the learning process interesting and less difficult. Utilizing accessible and cost-effective animal-related content, like Lucky Dog, provides a practical and engaging method for teaching operant conditioning. This assignment allows psychology students to gain a deeper, more practical appreciation for the complex psychological laws governing behavioral acquisition through operant conditioning, offering a long-term understanding of a fundamental learning method.
References
Bouton, M. E., Todd, T. E., & Leon, S. P. (2014). Contextual control of discriminated operant behavior. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, 40, 92-105.
CBS DreamTeam. (2016). CBS Dream Team…It’s epic: Six shows. Retrieved April 22, 2016 from http://cbsdreamteam.com.
Hare, B. (2016, January). The Trojan dog: How the animal mind turns psychological broccoli into ice cream for everyone. Session presented at the 38th National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, St. Petersburg, Florida.
Huitt, W. (2011). Bloom et al.’s taxonomy of the cognitive domain. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved April 22, 2016 from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/bloom.html
Lewis, J. L. (2015, June). A comparison between two different activities for teaching learning principles: Virtual animal labs versus human demonstrations. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 1(2), 182-188.
Matlin, M.W. (2013). Cognition. (8th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
McLeod, S. A. (2015). Skinner – Operant conditioning. Retrieved April 22, 2016 from www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html
McMillan, B. (2016). Dog Training: The Seven Common Commands System, Canine Minded. Retrieved April 22, 2016 from http://www.canineminded.com.
Stein, D.K. (2016, January). A critical evaluation of the use of operant conditioning in the show Lucky Dog. Paper presented at the 38th National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology. St. Petersburg, Florida.
