Clicker Training Accelerates Learning of Complex Behaviors but Reduces Discriminative Abilities of Yucatan Miniature Pigs

Paredes-Ramos, Pedro; Diaz-Morales, Joanna V; Espinosa-Palencia, Manuel; Coria-Ávila, Genaro A.; Carrasco-García, Apolo A.

doi:10.3390/ani10060959

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 35 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…On the other hand, Smith and Davis (2008) state in their study that there was no difference between clicker and the control groups in terms of learning the behaviour, but the clicker group forgot the learned behaviour later than others. Paredes-Ramos et al (2020) report that the clicker method reduces the number of repetitions required to learn to bring an object among piglets and enables faster learning. Leidinger et al (2017) states that mice trained with the clicker method learn quickly and perform all tasks successfully.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Efficacy of Clicker Method During Desensitising Horse

Hacan¹,

Danişan²,

Özbeyaz³

2022

Kocatepe Veterinary Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Encouraging horses to do tasks willingly during training relating to their welfare is important. Horses are trained for desensitization using de-spooking tracks. In this study, the efficacy of using the clicker method during desensitization to obstacles and novel objects is investigated. Fourteen Arabian horses participated in the study. Their success in completing the tasks, as well as their heart rate and behaviour were examined. The average achievement for the hanging pool noodle door task was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the clicker group (100%) than in the control group (43%). Average heart rate is highly significant (P<0.01) in the clicker group (139.28 pcs/minute) than the control group (109.42 pcs/minute). In the scope of frightening behaviours, "trot" was determined highly significant (P<0.01) in the control group than the clicker group. Clicker training appears to provide an advantage due to its ease of application, low cost, and fast learning by horses. The findings suggest that this method is advisable because of its efficacy during desensitising of horses using the de-spooking track. Fulfilling tasks willingly during training is also important for the horse's welfare and trainer's safety.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Efficacy of Clicker Method During Desensitising Horse

Hacan¹,

Danişan²,

Özbeyaz³

2022

Kocatepe Veterinary Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To date, one study has suggested any benefit to a clicker secondary reinforcer. Paredes-Ramos et al (2020) reported that clicker-trained piglets acquired a novel behavior in significantly fewer trials than did a verbally-reinforced group. A single trainer used a 10-step shaping protocol to teach ten piglets in each group to fetch a novel object for 30 trials a day until all piglets acquired the behavior.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, Pryor (2006) has suggested that only two or three pairings are needed to establish the clicker as a conditioned reinforcer. Similarly, Chiandetti et al (2016) claimed that two or three pairings were sufficient, and neither Thorn et al (2006) nor Paredes-Ramos et al (2020) paired the auditory stimulus with the primary reinforcer at all before initiating testing. While additional pairings would be expected to more strongly establish the stimulus as a secondary reinforcer ( Wike, 1966 ), our procedure was consistent with or more substantial than others in the literature, and we were constrained by the possibility of satiation in our young subjects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This indicates that a clicker or a verbal secondary reinforcer may be equally efficacious for initially training a behavior, but that clicker-trained dogs have a lower retention of the behavior across days. In a recent study with piglets, Paredes-Ramos et al (2020) used a clicker or a verbal secondary reinforcer to first teach a “fetch” behavior, and then had the piglets fetch a novel object in a discrimination task. They found that clicker-trained piglets acquired the fetch behavior in significantly fewer trials than the verbally-reinforced piglets, but that verbally-reinforced piglets made significantly more correct choices on the discrimination task.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The click is not the trick: the efficacy of clickers and other reinforcement methods in training naïve dogs to perform new tasks

Gilchrist¹,

Gunter²,

Anderson³

et al. 2021

PeerJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background A handheld metal noisemaker known as a “clicker” is widely used to train new behaviors in dogs; however, evidence for their superior efficacy compared to providing solely primary reinforcement or other secondary reinforcers in the acquisition of novel behavior in dogs is largely anecdotal. Methods Three experiments were conducted to determine under what circumstances a clicker secondary reinforcer may result in acquisition of a novel behavior more rapidly or to a higher level compared to other readily available reinforcement methods. In Experiment 1, three groups of 30 dogs each were shaped to emit a novel sit and stay behavior of increasing duration with either the delivery of food alone, a verbal stimulus paired with food, or a clicker with food. The group that received only a primary reinforcer reached a significantly higher criterion of training success than the group trained with a verbal secondary reinforcer. Performance of the group experiencing a clicker as a secondary reinforcer was intermediate between the other two groups, but not significantly different from either. In Experiment 2, three groups of 25 dogs each were shaped to emit a nose targeting behavior and then perform that behavior at increasing distances from the experimenter using the same three methods of positive reinforcement as in Experiment 1. No statistically significant differences between the groups were found. In Experiment 3, three groups of 30 dogs each were shaped to emit a nose-targeting behavior upon an array of wooden blocks with task difficulty increasing throughout testing using the same three methods of positive reinforcement as previously tested. No statistically significant differences between the groups were found. Results Overall, the findings suggest that both primary reinforcement alone as well as a verbal or clicker secondary reinforcer can be used successfully in training a dog to perform a novel behavior, but that no positive reinforcement method demonstrated significantly greater efficacy than any other.

show abstract

“…For example, the use of clickers for training is a method of positive reinforcement where a sound of double-click, emitted from the device, is associated to a first-order conditioned stimulus. If this action is repeated enough, animals can be taught to show desired behaviors, serving as a rewarding stimulus itself [ 35 ].…”

Section: The Seven Basic Neurobiological Systems Of Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

The Neurobiology of Behavior and Its Applicability for Animal Welfare: A Review

Coria-Ávila

Pfaus

Orihuela

et al. 2022

Animals

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Understanding the foundations of the neurobiology of behavior and well-being can help us better achieve animal welfare. Behavior is the expression of several physiological, endocrine, motor and emotional responses that are coordinated by the central nervous system from the processing of internal and external stimuli. In mammals, seven basic emotional systems have been described that when activated by the right stimuli evoke positive or negative innate responses that evolved to facilitate biological fitness. This review describes the process of how those neurobiological systems can directly influence animal welfare. We also describe examples of the interaction between primary (innate) and secondary (learned) processes that influence behavior.

show abstract

Clicker Training Accelerates Learning of Complex Behaviors but Reduces Discriminative Abilities of Yucatan Miniature Pigs

Cited by 7 publications

References 35 publications

The Efficacy of Clicker Method During Desensitising Horse

The Efficacy of Clicker Method During Desensitising Horse

The click is not the trick: the efficacy of clickers and other reinforcement methods in training naïve dogs to perform new tasks

The Neurobiology of Behavior and Its Applicability for Animal Welfare: A Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About