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Related Concept Videos

Reinforcement Schedules01:24

Reinforcement Schedules

Positive reinforcement is a powerful method for teaching new behaviors to both animals and humans. B.F. Skinner demonstrated this with his experiments using rats in a Skinner box. When a rat pressed a lever, it received a food pellet. This immediate reward encouraged the rat to repeat the behavior. This method, where a reward follows every instance of the behavior, is known as continuous reinforcement. It is highly effective for establishing new behaviors quickly.
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Related Experiment Video

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Introducing Clicker Training as a Cognitive Enrichment for Laboratory Mice
05:33

Introducing Clicker Training as a Cognitive Enrichment for Laboratory Mice

Published on: March 6, 2017

Positive reinforcement training in squirrel monkeys using clicker training.

Timothy E Gillis1, Amy C Janes, Marc J Kaufman

  • 1McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts.

American Journal of Primatology
|May 4, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Positive reinforcement training (PRT) using a clicker effectively trains squirrel monkeys for research procedures. This method improves animal welfare and research efficiency by enabling voluntary participation in husbandry and medical tasks.

Keywords:
Saimiriclicker trainingconditioned reinforceroperant conditioningpositive reinforcement trainingsquirrel monkey

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Area of Science:

  • Primate research
  • Animal behavior and training
  • Laboratory animal science

Background:

  • Nonhuman primates in research face stressors impacting physiology and brain function, potentially confounding study results.
  • Positive reinforcement training (PRT) is a technique that uses rewards to teach animals voluntary behaviors, improving their reactivity and welfare.
  • While PRT is established in species like rhesus macaques, its application in squirrel monkeys for complex tasks is less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if positive reinforcement training (PRT) with a clicker can be used to train adult male squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis).
  • To develop and implement a training regimen for voluntary participation in routine husbandry, transport, and injection procedures.
  • To quantify the training duration required to achieve successful outcomes in squirrel monkeys.

Main Methods:

  • Adult male squirrel monkeys (N=14) were trained using a clicker as a conditioned reinforcer and food as a positive reinforcer.
  • A progressive training regimen was implemented, starting with target touching and advancing to hand sitting, restraint, and injection procedures.
  • Training time and proficiency in mastering tasks were systematically recorded and analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Squirrel monkeys quickly learned the association between the clicker and food rewards.
  • Subjects rapidly achieved proficiency in target touching within two weeks.
  • 71% of subjects (10/14) mastered all four training tasks within an average of 59.2 days.
  • Trained monkeys required approximately 1.25 minutes per individual for weighing and intramuscular injections, a significant time reduction.

Conclusions:

  • Clicker-based PRT is a viable and effective method for training squirrel monkeys to participate voluntarily in research procedures.
  • A majority of squirrel monkeys can be trained within two months, leading to more efficient animal management.
  • These findings suggest PRT's potential to reduce stress-induced confounds in squirrel monkey research studies.