Basic research results
Research done at the University of North Texas suggests that classical treatments for aggression may have us all barking up the wrong tree. Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and Kellie Snider have devised a shaping-based, operant approach to treating aggression in clients' homes that is producing stronger and much faster results than classical positive desensitization and counter conditioning.

They show that aggression is learned behavior. Their research results also show that the Constructional Approach can change the consequences for the behavior: turning aggression into friendliness.

The new approach to aggression
At UNT, they explored whether aggression could be reduced by the contingent withdrawal of an aversive stimulus, introduced at low intensities. They ended up with dogs that both tolerated, and were friendly with, the strangers they were once aggressive toward. The dog solicited interaction from the formerly aversive stimulus he was previously attacking. He wasn't just ignoring the stimulus or turning to his owner in its presence, either. He was just not worried about it any more.

This session continues exploring the C.A.T. training procedure, using video and live demonstration. Other topics include the poisoned cue, functional analyses of aggressive behaviors, and stimulus control.

The CAT procedure uses negative reinforcement because positive reinforcement may achieve stillness in the face of aversive stimuli, but rarely produces friendliness toward the aversive stimulus.

Negative reinforcing + low intensity aversives
With CAT the dog gets what he originally wanted. The dog chooses the reinforcer...the negative reinforcement of distancing... but the trainer will differentially reinforce safer and friendlier behaviors with that reinforcer. The result is a decoy that is now a conditioned reinforcer... and thus no longer aversive.

Jesús and Kelli use negative reinforcement -- most importantly, because the dogs have to learn to deal with the aversive stimuli that trigger aggression in order to get past it. They teach the dog that he doesn't have to turn away from fearsome stimuli and hope his owner is on the ball. At a certain point, the dog is simply no longer afraid of the stimuli.

That's what they accomplish with negative reinforcement combined with errorless (below threshhold) learning . They treat a behavior functionally, providing the reinforcer the animal is already working for, but providing it contingently, incorporating safe, friendly behaviors (as part of a carefully controlled shaping process).