Another fish during a hand shaping session – teaching him to push the soccer ball. This is early in the training where he would get food just for touching the ball.
Another fish during a hand shaping session – teaching him to push the soccer ball. This is early in the training where he would get food just for touching the ball.
Our student uses a food wand to teach the fish to approach the soccer ball.
In our shaping tank, we teach the fish various tricks. The teal tube holds food that can be released when they engage in the behavior we are looking to teach. In this case, Anita Li is waiting for him to nose the ball.
Our shaping tank viewed from the side.
Anita Li (M.S. ABA ’13) from Florida is about to get a participant for one of the operant chamber experiments. An operant chamber is a container in which an animal is placed that has various manipulanda (like levers, or in our case, IR hoops) that are linked to some consequence (food, water, lights, etc). They are used to study learning.
Participant chosen! This goldfish is named Los II
Los II in the transfer dipper, ready to begin his day of work!
Anita Li placing dipper in the operant tank. We let it sit in the tank for 5-15 minutes to equalize the temperatures in case there are any differences.
This is our operant chamber. We begin with magazine training in which our students take data on whether the fish approaches and eats the food when a light is turned on. Magazine training refers to the training of the conditioned reinforcer (the red light) and the primary reinforcer (food delivery).
Once they are magazine trained, we train them to swim through the hoop. In this picture, the fish is approaching the hoop.
The fish has entered the hoop – there are two infrared lights and receptor (creating a beam) that will be broken as his body enters. This is how our computer system detects the hoop swim.
After successfully swimming through the hoop, a food pellet is delivered and a red light comes on (to signal that they earned the food).
The fish (especially at the beginning) swim towards the light and then look for the food pellet.
This is the fish mid-hoop swim
The pellets sink. At the beginning, the fish aren’t as successful at catching them. However – they soon learn to predict the sinking and will swim to intercept the food.
This is Anita Li watching her goldfish in the operant tank.
This is Anita Li watching her goldfish in the operant tank getting ready for another hoop swim.
The fish bring joy to Anita Li as she watches.
Anita Li observing and collecting data during an operant training session.
The fish swimming in the operant tank. Happy, … as a fish in water.
Got the Memory of a Goldfish? That Might Not Be a Bad Thing.
Goldfish dumb? No way. Goldfish playing soccer! Hands-on behavior analysis graduate students who train them and treat them in Florida Tech’s aquatic operant conditioning lab, where goldfish learn behaviors through reinforcement. In the cobalt blue operant tank, students use a food wand to draw the fish to a soccer ball. Soon the fishes associate the wand and food with the ball, nosing the ball along for their reward. You might say the fish jump through hoops for their mentors. They’re taught to swim through the hoops extremely fast—at least seven times a minute. Once through the hoop, the red light goes on, cueing the fish that a food pellet is in the offing. The fish races toward the light, trying to catch the pellet before it sinks. These goldfish playing soccer athletics provide data for Dr. Josh Pritchard’s students as they learn behavioral principles through hands-on experience. This may take some patience, but training goldfish is fun for the students as well as healthy exercise and a free meal for the goldfish. It’s a win-win for all.
