Association for Behavior Analysis International

The Association for Behavior Analysis International® (ABAI) is a nonprofit membership organization with the mission to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and practice.

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39th Annual Convention; Minneapolis, MN; 2013

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Symposium #338
CE Offered: BACB
The Same Thing, Only Different: Pioneering Functional Analysis Technology With Dogs and Wolves
Monday, May 27, 2013
2:00 PM–3:20 PM
101 F (Convention Center)
Area: AAB/PRA; Domain: Applied Research
Chair: Terri M. Bright (Simmons College/MSPCA)
CE Instructor: Terri M. Bright, M.Ed.
Abstract:

Living with dogs is risky for humans; over four million people are bitten by dogs each year in the U.S., mostly children ages 5-9. Living in close proximity to humans is risky for dogs, as well, with millions of dogs surrendered to Shelters and/or euthanized every year for bad behavior. Some top behavioral reasons for dog surrenders are bites, aggression towards humans, escape, destructive inside or outside, problems with new pet and old pet living together, aggression towards other animals, house-soiling, and vocalizing too much. Though functional assessment and analysis has been common in human behavior change for decades, it is not a common practice in the world of canid behavior. As a science, behavior analysis does not discriminate between organisms, and the use of assessment and analysis of behaviors of the animals that live amongst us is a contemporary necessity. These studies of dog and wolf behavior demonstrate that functional assessment and analysis can be important and valuable tools in the world of canid behavior.

 

Canine Behavior Assessment Tool: CBAT

TERRI M. BRIGHT (Simmons College/MSPCA), Ronald F. Allen (Simmons College)
Abstract:

When things go wrong with a dogs behavior in the home, dog owners often get help from self-chosen dog trainers, whose backgrounds in behavioral training are wildly variable. They may also rely on books, television, and the advice of friends. The typical advice or training is unlikely to include behavior analysis methodology, and will attempt to modify behavior without considering function. In this study, a direct behavior assessment tool was created for dog trainers to use, which would allow them to identify environmental variables maintaining problem dog behaviors. Functional analyses based upon this canine behavior assessment tool (CBAT) were performed on the behavior of two dogs: one with aggression towards humans, one with leash-pulling. Behavioral interventions were then created using the function of the behavior as indicated by the tool. Reversal designs were used to demonstrate functional relations between the causative variables and the interventions, showing that CBAT could be a useful tool to introduce functional analysis technology to the world of dog training.

 

Decreasing Dog Problem Behavior With Functional Analysis: Linking Diagnoses to Treatment

JARVON TOBIAS (University of Florida), Nicole R. Dorey (University of Florida), Monique A.R. Udell (University of Florida), Clive D.L. Wynne (University of Florida)
Abstract:

Behavioral problems in dogs account for nearly half of the reasons given for relinquishing them to shelters, and thus constitute a significant animal welfare issue. Any successful attempt to manage these problems will require an understanding of the mechanisms that control these behaviors. However, for some of the behavioral problems cited, such as jumping up on people, available treatments are not prescribed after a systematic assessment of the environmental contingencies contributing to the behavior. The current study assesses the use of functional analysis, an established technique for identifying the variables controlling problem behavior in humans, to determine the environmental factors supporting the behavior of jumping up on people in dogs. Statistically significant differences were found in the rate of jumping up behavior across conditions for each dog in the assessment phase. Treatment conditions used the maintaining variable found in the assessment phase. By comparing the rates of jumping up behavior in these conditions, we found the rates to be of lower statistical significance in the treatment condition. Therefore, results show that this methodology is effective in determining the maintaining variables for these individuals, leading to a more precise treatment.

 

Functional Analysis of Light-Chasing in a Dog

NATHANIEL HALL (University of Florida), Alexandra Protopopova (University of Florida), Clive D.L. Wynne (University of Florida)
Abstract:

Functional analysis technology has wide spread use in identifying behavior functions for humans and non-human animals. Recent research has applied this technology to dog problem behavior, specifically, unwanted jumping up on owners. We extend this research by conducting a functional analysis of a dog's repetitive light chasing behavior. The owner reported the dog's (Daisy) light chasing to be problematic, as the dog would spend large portions of time chasing light reflections. In Phase 1, we tested whether the movement of light (automatic positive) or the disappearance (automatic negative) of light reinforced chasing the light. An initial test for social reinforcement was subsequently dropped as high rates of light chasing maintained in the absence of social consequences. Light movement, and not its disappearance, reinforced light chasing, as repeated sessions of the disappearance condition led to extinction (see Figure 1). In Phase 2, we attempted to decrease light chasing or "pouncing" by teaching an alternative "waving"(paw lift) response and by removing the light contingent on contacting the light (Extinction). Increased light intensities were faded in across sessions and the reinforcement schedule for paw lifting was decreased to an FI 5 sec schedule. Paw lifting increased across sessions while contacting the light, or pouncing, decreased.

 

Using a Function-Based Approach to Identify Environmental Variables Evoking Social Play in Captive Canids

LINDSAY MEHRKAM (University of Florida), Clive D.L. Wynne (University of Florida)
Abstract:

Social play in nonhuman animals is considered a behavioral indicator of welfare that has largely been examined through ethological or naturalistic studies and descriptive assessments. This has led to a structural, rather than functional approach toward understanding social play, making the relevant variables difficult to identify to promote its occurrence in captivity. The present experiment employed a modified functional analysis to identifying environmental variables that evoke social play in 12 hand-raised gray wolves. Reciprocal social play and play initiation responses were recorded in three 5-minute experimental conditions (alone, ignore, and attention). Experimental conditions were counterbalanced across six 15-minute sessions. Four out of six pairs exhibited social play or play initiation during experimental sessions with varying trends (see Figures 1-4). Overall, the level of play behaviors observed were highest in the staff attention conditions for all subjects that exhibited the behavior (see Figure 5), suggesting that interspecific attention from a familiar human may serve as an establishing operation for automatically reinforced behavior. Behavior analytic approaches have versatility for examining possible proximate functions of why human-socialized canids engage in social play.

 

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