Shaping with the Door

Goal: Block out some of the distractors to help Nala focus on pressing the bar.

Procedure: I placed Nala in the operant box. I then placed the door to the front of the box in it's place. At first, Nala seemed slightly frightened by having the door on. She was agitated and running around the operant box trying to find a way out. After the first few minutes, she seemed to settle down. I then proceeded to shape Nala by my original plan. Throughout the 30 minute session Nala seemed less distracted.

Results: Nala did not press the bar during the session. However, Nala seemed less distracted and continued to go the corner with the bar in it until the very end of the session. Nala also seemed more interested in the bar during this session. She was sniffing the bar and investigating the corner with the bar more frequently. Nala was reinforced 55 times throughout the session.

Discussion: I believe that the door on the operant box has helped with Nala's progress. Her endurance in staying on task was greatly increased. She seemed less agitated and more focused throughout the session. I am hopeful that training with the door from here on out will help Nala's progression toward pressing the bar.

This is the door that goes on the front of the operant box. As you can see it blocks out most of the distractors for Nala while she is in the box while still allowing me to be able to see inside.