Companion Animal Sciences Institute

Course Title: Principles of Learning and Behavior - 104

Credits: 4 (Approx. 56 work-hours)

Instructor: James O'Heare, CABC

Course Description

Principles of Learning and Behavior 104 is a 4 month in-depth exploration of the principles of learning and behavior. This course is designed to cultivate in the student a strong foundation knowledge of the principles of learning and the science of behavior. 

Students should emerge from this course with a solid understanding of the following:

• Natural selection and behavior
  
• Reflexes
• Fixed action patterns
• General Behavior traits
• Evolution of learning
• Nature versus nurture
• Learning defined
• Measuring learning
• Research design
• Anecdotal evidence
• Case studies
• Descriptive studies
• Experimental studies
• Respondent conditioning procedures
  
• Higher order conditioning
• Variables affecting respondent conditioning
• Pairing CS and US
• Contingency
• Contiguity
• Stimulus features
• prior experience
• Number of CS-US pairings
• Intertrial interval
• Respondent extinction
• Respondent conditioning and fear
• Operant conditioning and its four procedures:
• Positive reinforcement
• Negative reinforcement
• Positive punishment
• Negative punishment
• Contrasting and comparing operant and respondent conditioning
• Conditioned and unconditioned reinforcers
• Operant extinction 
  
• Extinction bursts
• Spontaneous recovery 
  
• Resurgence
  
• Shaping and chaining behaviors
• Variables affecting operant conditioning:
• Contingency
• Contiguity
• Reinforcer characteristics
• Punisher intensity
• Task characteristics
• Motivating operations
• Introductory level of punishment
• Reinforcement of punished behavior
• Alternative sources of reinforcement for punished behavior
• Problematic secondary effects of aversive stimulation:
• Escape
• Aggression
• Apathy (global behavioral suppression)
• Abuse
• Countercontrol
• Constructional versus eliminative approaches to behavior change
• Alterantives to aversive suppression of behavior: 
  
• Differential reinforcement
• Self-control versus impulsivity
• Superstitious behavior
• Learned helplessness and disempowerment
• Vicarious learning
• Generalization and discrimination
• Stimulus control
• Schedules of reinforcement
• Continuous reinforcement
• Fixed ratio and variable ratio
• Fixed interval and variable interval
• Fixed duration and variable duration
• Limited hold
• Intermittent reinforcement
• Complex schedules of reinforcement
• Choice and matching law
• Differential reinforcement procedures
• Forgetting
• Limits of learning:
• Physical characteristics
• Nonheritability of learned behavior
• Heritability and learning ability
• Neurological damage and learning
• Sensitive periods

Course Texts

• Learning and Behavior 5th or 6th edition by Paul Chance (can be purchased here)
• Coercion and its Fallout (Revised Edition) by Murray Sidman (make sure you get the revised edition. (This book can be purchased through behavior.org click here)
• Laraway, S., Snycerski, S., Michael, J., & Poling, A. (2003). Motivating operations and terms to describe othem: some further refinements. J Appl Behav Anal, 36(3), 407-414. Click here.
• Electronic Training Devices: A Review of Current Literature by Jo Jacques, CPDT, CPCT and Sandy Myers, CDBC. (will be provided)

Enrollment Package Includes

• Coursework document with assignments and course notes
• Student Handbook
• Access to Classroom, with transcripts from Guest Visits and handouts
• Free membership with IIACAB and to all issues of its journal JACAB
• Access to your Instructor for one-on-one guidance

Schedule

The course begins as soon as your enrollment is complete and you receive your enrollment package. Although we allow 4 months for this course, you are free to complete the course sooner if you can, and we do allow extensions if need be.

Prerequisites: None

CCPDT Credits: 6.5

Tuition

$350 Cdn. (Currency Converter) + 4% fee for for online payments. Textbooks not included in tuition. They may be purchased through http://www.dogwise.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.abebooks.com or http://www.half.com in most cases. Also check the Student Library. Canadian Residents 5% GST.