Teaching Operant Conditioning at the Zoo

Abstract

Psychology instructors often visit zoos with their classes to teach about observational data collection methods and animal behavior. Unfortunately, they do not generally introduce the positive reinforcement training techniques used in zoos as models of applied operant conditioning. In this article, we describe a partnership between Zoo Atlanta and the Georgia Institute of Technology in teaching the principles of operant conditioning to undergraduate students in an experimental psychology class. The experience provided a valuable educational opportunity to students who simultaneously assisted zoo keepers with the management of animals in their care. According to both informal and formal student evaluations, the laboratory was an effective way to convey the principles of operant conditioning in an applied setting.