Final Post for Project One

It has been over a month since I first met Tessa, and I am glad to say that we have both learned from each other! On her end, she learned how to press the bar and receive reinforcements for multiple fixed ratio schedules. She also learned to trust me as her handler and caregiver. On my end, I learned how to handle and treat a trainee in order to successfully train the behavior. I also learned more about the various learning topics (magazine training, shaping, schedules, variability of behavior, etc.) discussed in lecture.

I thoroughly enjoyed the various interactions I had with Tessa throughout the training process. I would handle her each time I came to feed her, and I would typically play with her after completing a training session. We grew fond of each other through the process of training, and I was proud of her for each milestone she accomplished. The most exciting part of training was observing the learning process, which only took around two weeks to complete.

One of the more difficult facets of the training process was dealing with her climbing behaviors. I thought it was humorous when she would try to climb out of the box, but that humor soon turned to frustration when it became evident that the behavior was impacting the efficiency of her training. Although I was able to mitigate the behavior, she was easily frustrated when exposed to a new schedule and quick to satiate. The amount of food given beforehand did not seem to affect how quickly she would become satiated, so I assume that she was quickly bored by the training process.

Tessa climbing on the front of the box - she climbed everywhere!

I was glad to interact with Tessa on such a close level, and I feel that I have developed a close bond with an organism I once viewed as disgusting. I have a newfound respect for rats as a species, and I have developed a better understanding of their role in scientific research. I am excited to continue training Tessa for my next project!