Aim of the Study
To test whether this type of reinforcement could train elephants to participate voluntarily in a trunk wash
What is secondary positive reinforcement (SPR)?
This primary reinforcer was used to reward correct trunk movements.
What are chopped bananas?
In this step, elephants placed the trunk into the trainer’s hand so saline could be inserted.
What is “Trunk here”?
This many juvenile elephants successfully passed the full 5‑step sequence.
What is four elephants?
This overall research method was used, involving watching and recording elephants during training sessions.
What is a controlled observation?
This disease, affecting elephants in Nepal, was the reason trunk washes were needed.
What is tuberculosis (TB)?
This sound, paired with food, served as a secondary reinforcer.
What is a whistle blast?
This step involved holding fluid inside the trunk before lowering it into a bucket.
What is “Trunk up”?
To pass, elephants had to complete the full sequence correctly in this percentage of trials.
What is 80 percent?
Researchers used this kind of observation format, requiring them to check off specific defined behaviors.
What is structured observation?
Fagen et al. conducted the study in this country.
What is Nepal?
This learning method, rewarding steps in the sequence of a behavior was used to teach elephants the trunk‑wash steps.
What is shaping?
In this step, elephants expelled saline into a bucket.
"What is blow"
This elephant never passed her blow, syringe, or steady test.
Who is the older female Elephant, 5?
This experimental design was used because each elephant completed every stage of training in as any sessions as needed.
What is a repeated measures design?
The study aimed to avoid this training method, often associated with punishment.
What is traditional punishment-based training?
This training method involved positioning food to encourage elephants into new behaviors.
What is luring?
Mahouts avoided giving cues to maintain this aspect of experimental control.
What is a control variable by preventing mahout cues?
Standardized checklists increased this in the study.
What is high validity?
This tool helped researchers measure training success by defining each behavior clearly and consistently.
What is a behavioral checklist?
Researchers wanted the elephants to complete this procedure reliably and voluntarily.
What is the 5‑step trunk wash procedure?
This process was used to teach elephants to use the syringe instead of fearing it.
What is desensitization?
Only after individually learning each behavior were elephants required to perform them in this correct sequence
What is chaining behaviors?
The study’s small sample size limits this aspect of research, concerning how widely results apply.
What is low generalizability?
The type of quantitative data collected to measure training outcomes of elephants completing tasks
What is session minutes, number of cues, success rates,