Assessing Human Attention as a Reinforcer for Dog Behavior

• Published in: Behavior analysis (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 23; no. 4; pp. 224 - 237
• Main Authors: Chrysafis, Erin E., Payne, Steven W., Salazar, Alyssa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Educational Publishing Foundation 01-11-2023; American Psychological Association
• Subjects: Animal; Animal Behavior; Animal Shelters; Attention; Dogs; Female; Human; Interspecies Interaction; Male; Reinforcement; dogs; attention; animal shelter; methodology
• DOI: 10.1037/bar0000274
• EISSN: 2372-9414

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA, 2022), approximately 3 million dogs enter shelters every year. Researchers have identified behavioral factors influencing adoption and found that poor interaction with humans is a leading behavioral concern that may influence adoption. Several researchers have examined the reinforcing efficacy of human attention on dog behavior; however, these studies have produced mixed results. Procedural differences may account for this disparity. The purposes of the current study were to (a) determine if confounding variables in single-operant procedures may influence the results and (b) compare the two common procedures (single- and concurrent-operant procedures) used to assess human attention as a reinforcer for dog behavior. Five dogs from a local nonopen intake shelter participated in Experiment 1 and eight dogs participated in Experiment 2. Overall results suggested that the reinforcing efficacy of human attention depends on the methodology used. Practical and research implications of these results are discussed.