The use of punishment as a technique to change animal behavior has become a very polarizing issue. Some camps seem to believe that punishment is critical to establishing an all-important dominant status over an animal, whereas others claim punishment of any kind is detrimental to emotional health and the human-animal bond. In this session, scientific definitions of punishment and others methods for learning will be discussed. Clinical cases will be used to illustrate these forms of learning, decode emotionally fraught terms often used by behavioral professionals, and help clinicians better advise clients on the choosing the best techniques for changing the behavior of any animal.
Learning Objectives:
Define and recognize basic learning theory terminology
Recognize efficacy and possible adverse effects for punishment or any form of behavior modification
Critically analyze training techniques using scientific definitions of learning terms
Implement best behavior modification techniques for individual patients
