There are clear efficiencies and positive side effects of training with food, toys, and other “contrived” reinforcers. And there are also clear advantages to widening the range of reinforcers in our animals' lives to include those that are inherent to doing a particular activity. But teaching with naturally occurring reinforcers can be tricky for a number of reasons, including the problem of how to non-aversively manage the availability of those that are present in the larger environment and how to non-aversively "reset" after a reinforcer that can’t just be immediately swallowed. Teaching with contrived reinforcers (like food, often) first and then putting the behavior in contact with other reinforcers is one way to avoid some of these issues--but it comes with its own set of challenges. This talk will explore what exactly makes a reinforcer “contrived” or "naturally occurring," why we might want to think more about naturally occurring reinforcers, and strategies for teaching with or transitioning to them.

Sponsor:IAABC Foundation
Speaker(s):Kiki Yablon, MA, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA

Contact:
 Email: questions@iaabcfoundation.org
 Web: https://iaabcfoundation.org/animal-behavior-conference/