The 1 to 2 second rule: Sucker Error and Scientific Authorities

stopwatchA common sucker-error of modern training and behavior starts at the lowest level of understanding. Here’s a question that any trainer should be able to answer concisely.

From the moment a behavior occurs, how long do I have to present a tangible reward or punishment? You may have heard all kinds of statements about this and here are some examples that are common among modern “scientific” dog training and behavior experts. These are examples of smart, highly educated people who are anything but experts on this topic. That’s because they are exactly wrong in their statements. No, it’s not me saying they are wrong just to criticize them. It is reality that exposes their error. At the end of the article you, too, will know they are wrong based on your own experience.
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Waldo and Clicker Training:

092614_1833_WaldoandCli2.jpgTo quote the great behaviorist, Ogden R. Lindsley, “You must remember that the box is not there to keep the animal in, it’s there to keep the world out.” The ‘box’ he was referring to was an ‘operant chamber’ – an enclosure designed specifically for one type of experiment. This is the mainstay of behavioral scientists. When you hear the term “learning theory” this is the context of all their research and conclusions. Here’s why that model doesn’t work in the real world – they intentionally lock the real world out of their research. Only a devotion to the world around you will yield dependable knowledge. Here’s a topic that is a great example of how a broad view of behavior can give you a better understanding of how it works – four ways an animal learns to identify unique events.
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