Parrot Relationship Essay
According to Baum (2005), the definition of a relationship includes nonhuman animals. The intent of this paper is to suggest that the recurring verbal episodes between a parrot and their human caretaker act as social interactions and thus the two individuals could be considered to have a relationship. A relationship is defined as two individuals frequently engaging in social interactions (Baum, 2005, p. 234). Furthermore, a social interaction occurs when two individuals mutually reinforce the other’s behavior (Baum, 2005, p. 234).
During a training session, a parrot and a zookeeper engage in a verbal episode, which also functions as a social interaction. This is because both individuals are mutually reinforcing the other’s auditory stimulus.
Firstly, the parrot will provide reinforcement to the zookeeper by correctly mimicking an auditory stimulus that the zookeeper just emitted. The zookeeper will then reinforce the parrot for correctly mimicking the zookeeper’s original auditory stimulus by providing the animal with food. Moreover, this encounter between the zookeeper and the parrot could be considered a social interaction because both individuals received reinforcement from the other.
However, this verbal episode would never have been able to occur, if not for multiple the social interactions that extend across a period of time in which the social behavior was taught by the zookeeper and learned by the parrot. The zookeeper had to first teach the parrot that repeating the same auditory stimulus as the zookeeper was the correct behavioral response. Moreover, due to the repeated training sessions that also acted as social interactions, the parrot was able to pair emitting the same auditory stimulus as the zookeeper with reinforcement. Ultiamtely, the frequent verbal episodes between a parrot and a zookeeper are also social interactions, and thus the two individuals could be considered to have a relationship due to the social behavior comprising an extended activity.
During a training session, a parrot and a zookeeper engage in a verbal episode, which also functions as a social interaction. This is because both individuals are mutually reinforcing the other’s auditory stimulus.
Firstly, the parrot will provide reinforcement to the zookeeper by correctly mimicking an auditory stimulus that the zookeeper just emitted. The zookeeper will then reinforce the parrot for correctly mimicking the zookeeper’s original auditory stimulus by providing the animal with food. Moreover, this encounter between the zookeeper and the parrot could be considered a social interaction because both individuals received reinforcement from the other.
However, this verbal episode would never have been able to occur, if not for multiple the social interactions that extend across a period of time in which the social behavior was taught by the zookeeper and learned by the parrot. The zookeeper had to first teach the parrot that repeating the same auditory stimulus as the zookeeper was the correct behavioral response. Moreover, due to the repeated training sessions that also acted as social interactions, the parrot was able to pair emitting the same auditory stimulus as the zookeeper with reinforcement. Ultiamtely, the frequent verbal episodes between a parrot and a zookeeper are also social interactions, and thus the two individuals could be considered to have a relationship due to the social behavior comprising an extended activity.