Reinforcement, Reinforcers, And How To Identify And Use Them

Roz

Forum Trainer
Regular Member
Reinforcement, Reinforcers, and how to identify and use them

Reinforcement
If the outcome to a behaviour is desirable, then we will repeat that behaviour. That outcome or consequence to the behaviour is therefore said to be reinforcing.

Positive Reinforcement

As trainers we can engineer the outcome so that our parrots repeat behaviours that are desirable to them and us. This is the premise of positive reinforcement training.

Positive reinforcement training is not only a kinder method to use with our feathered (finned and furred) friend; it brings us closer together as the parrot becomes eager to learn and mutual trust is formed. This force free method of training empowers our parrot which is a reinforcer in itself.

A new addition to the flock or a bird that is not yet “tame” may not have very many reinforcers at all where humans are concerned. And that’s fine. Our job as trainers is to be observant. To look for reinforcers we can use. With these individuals choosing a primary (unlearned) reinforcer like food (all birds have to eat!) is a good starting point. This does NOT mean denying them food but observing which morsels are chosen first out of the food bowl and using those as reinforcers.

An Introduction to Reinforcers and how to identify them

What do your birds find reinforcing? Notice the behaviours they repeat and see if you can identify the reinforcers that keep those behaviours happening. Try to be specific – instead of treats, name them: pine nuts, peas, corn niblets, etc

Most reinforcers are secondary reinforcers. They are learned rather than inherent. They are learned by pairing them either with primary reinforcers (mentioned above) or other secondary reinforcers. You’d be surprised at how many reinforcers your birds have. It can be a good idea to list them. Some of these you can use to reinforce new behaviours or to trouble shoot problem behaviours. Kobe is a Blue-headed Pionus, his reinforcers include:

Toys – certain foot toys
Looking out of the window at all the outdoor birds
Treats – pieces of almond, corn sprouts, pomegranate arils
Attention – includes praise such as animated talking or laughter
Head scratches, play wrestling with my fingers

The following behaviours are often repeated which tells me that they are being reinforced somehow. Probably with my attention plus in some cases intrinsic reinforcement (comes from within eg. taste, touch, sound, etc.):

Throwing toys on the floor
Throwing CDs on the floor
Chewing boxes
Chewing things he shouldn’t like books, my boots, the jute bags on top of the fridge

bgkEmYm.jpg


I can use some of these reinforcers to teach Kobe new behaviours or redirect unwanted behaviours.

It is beneficial to Kobe and me if he quickly steps up when asked and is willing to go back into his cage. It means he can be out of his cage before I have to go out. I need to ensure the step up is highly reinforcing as well as going back into his cage.

I could reinforce his step up with a treat, but Kobe isn’t willing to take a treat at that time of day. So I tried taking him over to the window instead. I know this is reinforcing as the step up behaviour has continued/increased. Then I give him loads of attention (talking/praise) as I carry him over to his cage. This is to reinforce his staying on my hand and not flying off. There are lots of reinforcers waiting inside his cage: a fresh breakfast bowl, a newly filled foraging toy, perhaps some favourite foot toys visible in a container and maybe a couple of “new” ones rotated in so he doesn’t get bored. Kobe is usually very eager to go in.

However I won’t shut the cage door until he is involved in some sort of reinforcing activity like eating. That way the closing door is paired with something good and he’ll be more likely to go inside next time. We have one happy bird and I am happy as the process only takes a few minutes ensuring I’m not late.

At night, Kobe goes into a night cage. The behaviour is reinforced with a piece of almond. I taught him the behaviour using a process called shaping. Shaping is breaking down the target behaviour (entering the night cage) into tiny manageable steps. Each of those steps builds on the last and was reinforced with pieces of almond. There is more info about shaping in this thread:

https://theparrotclub.co.uk/community/index.php?threads/shaping-the-step-up-back-to-basics.21349/

As a bonus the travel cage has now been paired with something good (almond pieces) and he can’t wait to take himself off to bed at night with the words “yum yum”.

RRGKLaU.jpg


Accidentally Reinforcing unwanted behaviour

Attention is a huge reinforcer for Kobe. If I had ignored his first instance of CD throwing, the behaviour would probably have died out. But he got an increasing amount of attention for it… I didn’t like my CD cases shattering on the hard floor. By the time I realised what I had done, it was very difficult to redirect his behaviour. In the end I decided to remove the antecedent or cue for the behaviour (the presence of the CDs) and put them away where they should have been in the first place. Problem solved. Removing the cue/antecedent is often the quickest and kindest way to end a problem behaviour.

In the same light, I can see that the chewing of the bags on top of the fridge, my boots and most other unwanted behaviour have actually been reinforced by me. It is killing me to ignore his bag chewing but interestingly over the last few days the behaviour is decreasing! Plenty of reinforcement for me to keep ignoring. Now if I was to ignore the behaviour for as long as possible and then have a melt down at it (LOADS OF ATTENTION!) or even just a glance at him (ATTENTION!) whilst he was doing it, it would have the reverse effect. The behaviour would become stronger. I would have put the bag chewing on an Intermittent Schedule of Reinforcement. Kobe would know that if he keeps chewing, every so often (intermittently) he’s going to get the attention reward!

9mXojhk.jpg


Instead I need to be vigilant and highly reinforce any other acceptable behaviour before he even thinks about engaging in the unacceptable. Even if he is sitting quietly I can easily reinforce his calm behaviour with a head scratch. Too often we forget to reinforce “good” behaviour and tend to concentrate on the “bad”.

0OcAKiZ.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thank you so much for the time you have put into this post Roz it is a very interesting and helpful read x.[emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 
Haven't finished reading yet but what I am reading I am trying to work into my relationship with MrP :)
Am still struggling with a couple of things with him but am none to sure if I wish to correct the behaviour as long as it's not harmful behaviour to himself or me ...... or whether to just carry on the way we are and say yup he's just being P :)
 
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well i am getting somewhere with him
he will now 99% of the time return to the inside if his cage when asked to and he sits on the same perch to receive his treat

but be will still try to rip my fingers off at every opportunity
 
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That is great, Darren!!! Keep pairing yourself with good things like the treats. My Chico is the same. Still untrustworthy but hugely better than he was. All I can do is keep pairing myself with good experiences.

Maybe start to expand the things he can do for treats... like targeting. When he's learned to target (say the end of a chopstick) you can teach him to turn circles on cue. All these things, although "tricks" helps with the communication between you and therefore the trust and the bond. You would teach targeting in tiny steps or approximations called shaping... just like you would shape a step up from scratch:

https://theparrotclub.co.uk/community/index.php?threads/shaping-the-step-up-back-to-basics.21349/
 
Yes, targeting is touching something with a part of the body. It could be touching something with a foot or the beak. Often times a chopstick is an easy item to choose. Here is Bobbie targeting the tip of a chopstick:

KafI56k.jpg


Many birds go to touch the chopstick anyway - in which case reinforce! Often times they bite it hard - reinforce! - you've got the behaviour you were looking for. They soon learn that they only need touch it lightly to get the treat. If the bird doesn't go to touch the stick then break down the behaviour you want to see into tiny steps:

First step might be bird looks at the target. Reinforce!
Second stop might be bird turns his body towards the target. Reinforce!
Third step might be bird stretches neck towards target. Reinforce!
Forth step might be bird stretches neck closer towards the target. Reinforce!
Fifth step might be bird takes half a step towards the target. Reinforce!
And so on until the bird touches the target with his beak. HUGELY REINFORCE!

When teaching to target it is important that you keep the target absolutely still. It is tempting to move the target so that the bird follows, but if you do this too soon, the behaviour can get lost. Only when the bird is confidently touching the target every time then move it a little away so he has to walk a pace or two towards it. Again keeping the target absolutely still. Gradually make the distance he has to travel greater. Eventually the bird will travel quite a distance to touch the target. Useful if you want to get him to station away from feeder doors whilst you slot in food bowls.

When he's good at touching the stationary target, then you can begin to move it slightly as in teaching the bird to turn a circle... ie. he follows the target. Then add a visual cue for the circle turning at the same time. In the end you'll be able to drop the target stick and just give the visual cue for turning the circle. Right now I'm teaching Bobbie to turn, but she still needs to follow the target stick. Ollie can turn circles on cue without it. They love doing these tricks - it's fun for all of us.
 
Reinforcement, Reinforcers, and how to identify and use them

Reinforcement

If the outcome to a behaviour is desirable, then we will repeat that behaviour. That outcome or consequence to the behaviour is therefore said to be reinforcing.

Positive Reinforcement
As trainers we can engineer the outcome so that our parrots repeat behaviours that are desirable to them and us. This is the premise of positive reinforcement training.

Positive reinforcement training is not only a kinder method to use with our feathered (finned and furred) friend; it brings us closer together as the parrot becomes eager to learn and mutual trust is formed. This force free method of training empowers our parrot which is a reinforcer in itself.

A new addition to the flock or a bird that is not yet “tame” may not have very many reinforcers at all where humans are concerned. And that’s fine. Our job as trainers is to be observant. To look for reinforcers we can use. With these individuals choosing a primary (unlearned) reinforcer like food (all birds have to eat!) is a good starting point. This does NOT mean denying them food but observing which morsels are chosen first out of the food bowl and using those as reinforcers.

An Introduction to Reinforcers and how to identify them
What do your birds find reinforcing? Notice the behaviours they repeat and see if you can identify the reinforcers that keep those behaviours happening. Try to be specific – instead of treats, name them: pine nuts, peas, corn niblets, etc

Most reinforcers are secondary reinforcers. They are learned rather than inherent. They are learned by pairing them either with primary reinforcers (mentioned above) or other secondary reinforcers. You’d be surprised at how many reinforcers your birds have. It can be a good idea to list them. Some of these you can use to reinforce new behaviours or to trouble shoot problem behaviours. Kobe is a Blue-headed Pionus, his reinforcers include:

Toys – certain foot toys
Looking out of the window at all the outdoor birds
Treats – pieces of almond, corn sprouts, pomegranate arils
Attention – includes praise such as animated talking or laughter
Head scratches, play wrestling with my fingers

The following behaviours are often repeated which tells me that they are being reinforced somehow. Probably with my attention plus in some cases intrinsic reinforcement (comes from within eg. taste, touch, sound, etc.):

Throwing toys on the floor
Throwing CDs on the floor
Chewing boxes
Chewing things he shouldn’t like books, my boots, the jute bags on top of the fridge

bgkEmYm.jpg


I can use some of these reinforcers to teach Kobe new behaviours or redirect unwanted behaviours.

It is beneficial to Kobe and me if he quickly steps up when asked and is willing to go back into his cage. It means he can be out of his cage before I have to go out. I need to ensure the step up is highly reinforcing as well as going back into his cage.

I could reinforce his step up with a treat, but Kobe isn’t willing to take a treat at that time of day. So I tried taking him over to the window instead. I know this is reinforcing as the step up behaviour has continued/increased. Then I give him loads of attention (talking/praise) as I carry him over to his cage. This is to reinforce his staying on my hand and not flying off. There are lots of reinforcers waiting inside his cage: a fresh breakfast bowl, a newly filled foraging toy, perhaps some favourite foot toys visible in a container and maybe a couple of “new” ones rotated in so he doesn’t get bored. Kobe is usually very eager to go in.

However I won’t shut the cage door until he is involved in some sort of reinforcing activity like eating. That way the closing door is paired with something good and he’ll be more likely to go inside next time. We have one happy bird and I am happy as the process only takes a few minutes ensuring I’m not late.

At night, Kobe goes into a night cage. The behaviour is reinforced with a piece of almond. I taught him the behaviour using a process called shaping. Shaping is breaking down the target behaviour (entering the night cage) into tiny manageable steps. Each of those steps builds on the last and was reinforced with pieces of almond. There is more info about shaping in this thread:

https://theparrotclub.co.uk/community/index.php?threads/shaping-the-step-up-back-to-basics.21349/

As a bonus the travel cage has now been paired with something good (almond pieces) and he can’t wait to take himself off to bed at night with the words “yum yum”.

RRGKLaU.jpg


Accidentally Reinforcing unwanted behaviour
Attention is a huge reinforcer for Kobe. If I had ignored his first instance of CD throwing, the behaviour would probably have died out. But he got an increasing amount of attention for it… I didn’t like my CD cases shattering on the hard floor. By the time I realised what I had done, it was very difficult to redirect his behaviour. In the end I decided to remove the antecedent or cue for the behaviour (the presence of the CDs) and put them away where they should have been in the first place. Problem solved. Removing the cue/antecedent is often the quickest and kindest way to end a problem behaviour.

In the same light, I can see that the chewing of the bags on top of the fridge, my boots and most other unwanted behaviour have actually been reinforced by me. It is killing me to ignore his bag chewing but interestingly over the last few days the behaviour is decreasing! Plenty of reinforcement for me to keep ignoring. Now if I was to ignore the behaviour for as long as possible and then have a melt down at it (LOADS OF ATTENTION!) or even just a glance at him (ATTENTION!) whilst he was doing it, it would have the reverse effect. The behaviour would become stronger. I would have put the bag chewing on an Intermittent Schedule of Reinforcement. Kobe would know that if he keeps chewing, every so often (intermittently) he’s going to get the attention reward!

9mXojhk.jpg


Instead I need to be vigilant and highly reinforce any other acceptable behaviour before he even thinks about engaging in the unacceptable. Even if he is sitting quietly I can easily reinforce his calm behaviour with a head scratch. Too often we forget to reinforce “good” behaviour and tend to concentrate on the “bad”.

0OcAKiZ.jpg
Thank you so much for the advise in this post, I have been taking things very slowly with Buddy, as she is very frightened, but I wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do, now I know I can take my time and it is better for her 😊
 
@Karl Cheesbrough .
If that's who I think it is with baby budgies this is one of the training threads I mention at shop this morning :)
Loads of things in the diet section of what you can and cannot feed.
 
@JesterClown you also need to read this one.
IF you start a thread in the training folder then Roz can tag in with you and help you out :) Plus Wera will be a great help to you as well @Wera member has popped a thread in the chat box at top of main screen.
 
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