Animal Behavior Psychology

Abstract.

The Pavlovian learning approach involves repeatedly pairing two stimuli to form a connection. This learning model pairs a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) with an unconditioned stimulus (US) that naturally evokes a specific response (Unconditioned response) (UR). After repeated pairings, the animal associates the CS with the US and develops a conditioned response (CR) to the US even when not present. The goal of this experiment is to test the hypothesis that the Persian Cat can be trained to associate a bell sound with receiving food reward based on the Pavlovian learning model. The hypothesis of this research states that the subject (Persian Cat) can be trained to associate a bell sound with receiving food based on the Pavlovian learning model.

The research used qualitative and quantitative methods to collect and analyze the data. Throughout multiple training sessions, the cat learnt to identify the bell sounds with food, demonstrating Pavlovian conditioning in cats. However, a small sample size, poor environmental control, and a short training period hampered the study.

INTRODUCTION.

The Pavlovian learning model, based on the Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov, states that the learning of an organism occurs by associating two stimuli together and this model, there are four key components; neutral Stimulus (NS), the conditioned Stimulus (CS), the unconditioned Stimulus (US), and the conditioned Response (CR). Pavlovian learning explains how repeated pairing can train responses. The neutral Stimulus does not elicit an answer; the unconditioned Stimulus naturally does; the conditioned Stimulus is a neutral stimulus associated with the unconditioned Stimulus, and the conditioned response is the response elicited by the conditioned Stimulus after conditioning.

Bouton et al. (2021) outline Pavlovian extinction learning’s behavioural and brain underpinnings. In Pavlovian conditioning, a neutral stimulus, like a tone, is paired with an unconditioned stimulus, like food, resulting in a conditioned response, like salivation. Extinction reduces the conditioned response by repeating the conditioned Stimulus without the unconditioned Stimulus. Bouton et al. (2021) cover Pavlovian extinction brain circuits and regions, including the amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and striatum. The hippocampus helps contextual learning and memory, whereas the amygdala controls conditioned fear reactions. The prefrontal cortex controls decision-making and inhibitory control, while the striatum processes rewards and habits. Several brain regions work together to diminish previously learned stimuli-response linkages during extinction (Bouton et al., 2021).

According to Dorfman and Gershman (2019), the brain decides which style of control is best at predicting reward. When incentives are uncontrollable, the Pavlovian predictor is predicted to win. This article discusses the balance between Pavlovian and instrumental action selection in the brain. The brain determines which predicts reward better—Pavlovian or instrumental control. The Pavlovian predictor only learns values based on stimuli, but the instrumental predictor can learn values based on stimuli and actions. The theory predicts that the Pavlovian predictor will be preferred when rewards are relatively uncontrollable since the instrumental predictor’s flexibility is not applicable (Dorfman & Gershman, 2019).

This experiment will involve a Persian Cat with long hair, a luxurious coat, and a round face. This cat has learning capabilities compared to other breeds and enjoys spending time around people.

Experiment Hypothesis: Based on the Pavlovian learning model, the subject (Persian Cat) can be trained to associate a bell sound with receiving food.

Goal Statement: Testing the hypothesis that the Persian Cat can be trained to associate a bell sound with receiving food reward based on the Pavlovian learning model.

EXPERIMENT METHOD.

1. The procedure.

The schedule of reinforcement that this experiment will utilize is the continuous reinforcement schedule. The food reward will be given to the experiment subject (Persian Cat) every time the cat responds to the ringing bell, the conditioned Stimulus, which will occur during the testing phase of the experiment. The continuous reinforcement schedule will be utilized to ensure that the cat associates the sound of the bell with food reward clearly and quickly.

This experiment will start at 10:00 AM when the cat is active hours. The Persian cat is active during the morning or early afternoon hours and sleeps the rest of the day. Active cats have different physiological and behavioural responses than resting or sleeping cats because they are more alert, have a higher heart rate, or be more adventurous. Conducting this experiment during a cat’s active hours, the research results will be more accurate and reliable data about the cat’s behaviour, physiology, and responses to stimuli which can help to ensure that the results of the experiment results are valid and applicable to the cat’s natural behaviour and functioning.

During the pre-training phase, a bell was used, which was rung, and when the cat showed up, it was given a food reward. The process of the bell sound and the Cat’s Response was repeated after every 5 minutes for 1 hour for six trials. Each 5-minute interval trails was conducted to assess the cat’s baseline response to the sound of the bell. The pre-training phase observed and recorded the cat’s natural behaviour and responses to stimuli as a baseline for the training phase. The pre-training phase acclimatized the cat to the experimental setup, including any equipment or procedures used, reducing stress and anxiety during training. Pairing the neutral Stimulus (NS) with the unconditioned Stimulus (US) to elicit the intended response conditioned the cat to the experimental stimuli and strengthened the NS-US link, making training more successful. Pre-training also identified potential problems. In this experiment, the cat did not effectively respond to the bell sound during the first few trials, but the cat adjusted and associated the bell sound with the food reward.

After the pre-training phase, the training phase occurred in a room with a bell and a bowl of food which disperses food automatically after 5 minutes. The cat was exposed to the bell sound (conditioned Stimulus) for 5 seconds, followed by the food reward; this process was repeated for 1 hour for six trials. The cat was given significantly small portions of the food to ensure it did not get full before the collection of substantive data.

The testing phase was finally conducted, and the bell sound (conditioned Stimulus) was played for the cat, but the food reward was absent. The cat’s response was observed and recorded in the absence of the food after the bell was sounded. The same experimental procedure was repeated but without the food reward and the results were recorded.

2. Operational definition of the target behaviour.

The target behaviour observed in this experiment is the cat’s response to the bell sound (conditioned Stimulus) associated with the food reward. The behaviour responses of the cat being observed are vocalizing (meowing), showing excitement, moving towards the food reward dispenser, and turning its head when the bell sounds. To evaluate if the cat’s responsiveness to the sound (CS) increased throughout testing compared to pre-training, these behaviours were counted and recorded.

3. Identified Components in this study.

The Conditioned Stimulus (CS). In this experiment, it is the sound made by the bell and does not initially elicit any response from the cat.

The Unconditioned Response (US). This is the food reward given to the cat after responding to the conditioned response (bell sound).

The Conditioned Response (CR). This is the cat’s response to the conditioned Stimulus (bell sound) after it was paired with the Unconditioned Stimulus (food reward).

THE RESULTS.

The results of this experiment were collected over six trial sessions, each conducted for 1 hour at 5 minutes intervals. The frequency of the 1-hour session is 12. The following graph shows statistics of the variables being manipulated on the x-axis (number of trials-6) against the variables being measured on the y-axis (the cat’s response).

The graph above shows a total of 6 trails, each conducted for 1 hour with an interval of 5 minutes each. The frequency of each trial was 12. In the first session, the cat responded four times after the bell was sounded. In the second session, the cat responded six times after the bell sounded and in the third session, the cat responded ten times. In the 4^th, ^fifth, and sixth trials, the cat responded in all 12 responses.

DISCUSSION.

The hypothesis in this experiment was supported by the results, which showed that the subject (Persian Cat) associated the bell sound (Conditioned Stimuli) with the food reward (Unconditioned Stimuli). The results show that the cat’s response to the bell sound progressively increased as the sessions continued. Therefore, the goal of this experiment, testing the hypothesis that the Persian Cat can be trained to associate a bell sound with receiving food reward based on the Pavlovian learning model, was achieved. Over the training sessions, the cat learnt to associate the sound with food and responded more frequently. During the testing session, the cat responded to the sound by coming to the source more often than expected by chance, demonstrating that it had learned the sound-food reward relationship. The cat became too familiar with the sound and responded even without food. Overgeneralization occurs if the cat responds to the sound without food. Hence, Pavlovian conditioning was confirmed when the Persian cat connected the bell sound with the food reward. These results relate to the argument of Bouton et al. (2021) that, Pavlovian learning is classical conditioning in which an organism associates a neutral input with a physiologically important response like food or pain. The results also alight with Dorfman & Gershman’s (2019) hypothesis that neural processes and behaviour are involved in learning and extinction when the Unconditioned Stimulus (UC) is introduced.

Limitations of this Study.

This study has several experimental limitations, which include the following;

• The sample size was small because the experiment involved one Persian cat; hence it limits the generalizability of the results to all cats when responding to the same stimuli.
• This study was conducted over a short duration of only one hour per session. Although the number of sessions was enough to demonstrate the hypothesized results, the intervals between the sessions were limited.
• This experiment had limited environmental control because it was conducted in an environment with other sounds; hence, the cat could not effectively differentiate between the Conditioned Stimulus (the bell) and other environmental sounds.
• The experiment measured a slight behaviour change (the response to the bell) towards the sound of the bell. More accurate results would be achieved if the experiment measured other behaviour change factors, such as heartbeat change.
• The cat used in this experiment (the Persian cat) demonstrates some biasness in the results because it may have higher learning capabilities compared to other cat species, such as the Caracal.

Future directions to address the limitations.

Future studies can aim to increase the sample size to ensure that the results are generalizable and that the results are not specific to one particular cat species. A larger sample size allows statistical tests to find substantial differences or correlations between variables, increasing confidence and reliability. Larger sample sizes reduce sampling error, improving population parameter estimations. Sampling error is a chance fluctuation between sample members. Additionally, a larger sample size can also improve effect size estimations and confidence ranges, helping researchers understand the study’s effects.

Future experiments should be conducted over longer training durations to allow more generalizability and accuracy of the results based on the Pavlov learning theory. Pavlovian conditioning involves learning by stimulus association, which may require repeated repeats over time to form a strong and persistent relationship. A more extended training period may also enable generalization, where the cat associates the conditioned Stimulus with the food reward in new situations; by extending the experiment, researchers can better understand learning and its causes. Studying the cat’s behaviour over an extended period will help determine how the relationship changes, whether environmental stimuli alter it and whether the cat can preserve the association. A more extended training period would allow for a more in-depth study of cats’ learning process and Pavlovian conditioning’s ability to influence animal behaviour.

In future similar experiments, environmental controls should be addressed to eliminate potential confounding variables that may affect the cat’s behaviour (Conditioned response) towards the Unconditioned Stimulus (food reward). Environmental control can be achieved in a soundproof environment without any external disruptions.

Conclusion.

This Pavlovian conditioning experiment tested if a Persian cat would associate a bell sound with food. After several training sessions, the cat learned to associate the bell sound with food rewards. This study has significant drawbacks, including a small sample size, inadequate environmental control, and a short training period. Hence, while the work suggests Pavlovian conditioning in cats, it should be interpreted cautiously, and further research is needed to understand animal learning. Increasing sample sizes, regulating the environment, evaluating behavioural responses, and utilizing double-blind techniques to reduce experimenter bias should improve this study. This research helps students understand how animals learn and how Pavlovian conditioning can modify their behaviour.

References

Bouton, M. E., Maren, S., & McNally, G. P. (2021). Behavioural and neurobiological mechanisms of Pavlovian and instrumental extinction learning. Physiological reviews, 101(2), 611–681.

Dorfman, H. M., & Gershman, S. J. (2019). Controllability governs the balance between Pavlovian and instrumental action selection. Nature communications, 10(1), 5826.