The family has a daughter who is maybe two, and we were walking along when she asked if she could see the doggies. We went to the giraffes, and she clapped for the doggies. The zebras, elephants, bears and wolves were all doggies as well. She has not yet learned to accommodate the information that tells her not all four-legged animals are dogs.
Then, we went to the seal show, and I noticed that every-time the seal trainer made a certain hand motion, the seal would do something and then get fish. I watched and thought I was so smart because I knew that they had used operant conditioning to train the seal. Then the woman actually told the crowd they used operant conditioning, and she explained what it was.
Don't you think it is interesting how psychology class "lives at the zoo?"
oh my god! zahava! something similar happened to me as well.
ReplyDeleteI was babysitting the cutest kid in the world and she saw a picture of a dog so she said dog and i cheered and reinforced her behavior. Then we went on in our lovely childrens book and we saw a horse as well as a cat, then she exclaimed "dog" a smiled waiting for my reinforcement. Then i said to her " no baby thats a horse and a cat" she looked at me and kept saying "dog" and i kept explaining to her that it was not a dog. Although she didnt say the words horse and cat, she understood after a while and stopped saying dog.I was so pleased!