55: A Free Operant Approach to Behavior Management with Rick Hester, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo & BehaviorWorks

This episode Rick Hester, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and BehaviorWorks, discusses a free operant approach to behavior management. Rick starts with explaining the practical application of free operant behavior and, in order to get the full scope, also discusses discrete trial training and the relationship between the two. Breaking down some of the science, Rick educates about Lindsley's (1996) Four Free Operant Freedoms and the considerations for providing and maintaining a free operant environment (depletion, satiation, and dosage of resources). Rick finishes the episode with giving advice on how to start curating free operant environments by celebrating each approximation. Stay tuned in for a "dam" great "Training Tale" about creating a free operant environment for beavers using the sound of running water. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email [e-mail] and to contact Rick email [e-mail] Let's talk some training and banter about behavior!

6:40 Definition and application of “Free Operant” 

10:05 Definition and application of Discrete Trial Training (DTT)

14:10 Connecting the dots between environmental enrichment and free operant principles 

16:55 The Freedom to Present Stimuli 

17:20 The Freedom to Repeat Responses Many Times to Each Signal 

17:50 The Freedom to Form Responses 

18:20 The Freedom to Slow or Speed Responses 

19:15 Considerations for providing and maintaining a free operant environment

20:40 Resource Depletion 

23:20 Satiation of Resources 

24:50 Dosage of Resources 

28:00 Advice for Getting Team Buy-In; Using Approximations 

35:35 The balance between free operant and discrete trial training 

39:50 “Training Tales”