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 [email protected] and to contact Rick email [email protected] 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”