I was 110% convinced that the Careening Dirigibug was called the Bombardier Beetle and it took my friend looking up to remind me that no, that’s not its name, and bombardier beetles are a real insect.
me for the thirty-seventh time this week: clean your room!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my executive dysfunction:
Idk if anyone’s gonna engage me on this but I want to think it out loud anyways.
Just… as a continuation of an earlier tag commentary thought train, what is the difference between training, teaching, and manipulation?
Because I was thinking “well isn’t teaching an animal to trust you so they’ll do what you ask just manipulating them?” and like, kind of? But I guess it depends on what you’re asking them to do, why you’re training them to do it, and how you’re training them.
For example, if I’m training my dog to have basic manners in a public space, that’s not for my personal satisfaction but rather for the sake of the dog as a member of society. And generally the best methods to teach dogs are ones that involve building their confidence in you as someone to look towards for directions. Building their trust in you. Ideally the dog will participate because engaging with you brings good things for them.
But like, what about training animals to do things where the animal gets no particular benefit from it other than maybe a treat and some enrichment (arguably, and depending on the case of course)? Not like at a zoo, where they have to train animals to perform certain actions for the purpose of health checks and such. And I don’t know enough about the details of cetacean captivity and welfare to use that as an example of anything.
You’ve got four basic training methods:
Positive reinforcement: A desirable stimulus is applied when a “good” behavior happens, making that behavior more likely to reoccur. (This one is most often recommended for dog training, and probably most other kinds of training. Subject performs behavior when prompted in order to earn a good reward.)
Positive punishment: An undesirable stimulus is applied when a “bad” behavior happens, making that behavior less likely to reoccur (Subject stops doing behavior to avoid unpleasant stimulus. Ex. The intention people have when using shock collars.)
Negative reinforcement: An unpleasant stimulus is applied. When subject performs the desired behavior, the unpleasant stimulus is removed. Behavior more likely to reoccur. (Ex. applying pressure with a choke chain, releasing pressure when dog complies – not my favorite example, but the best one I can currently think of)
Negative punishment: A desired stimulus or object is removed when the subject performs an unwanted behavior. Behavior less likely to reoccur. (Ex. Ignoring a child who interrupts; turning away from a dog that jumps up when greeting. I suppose would also include things like removal of rights after an arrest.)
I’m not sure where I was going with all this, but I guess how do you differentiate between training and manipulating? Is it just the deceit and dishonest intentions that make something manipulation? Would that make it manipulative to earn a stray’s trust so you can catch them and take them to the vet (something that, while in the animal’s best interest, is very much NOT what the animal was trusting from you)? Why is teaching an animal that humans = food = good so they’ll be more cooperative not manipulative? I don’t personally think it is, but I cant explain why it isn’t.
I actually don’t have Pokémon in my dreams very often but a few nights ago there was a Banette that ran on all fours like an ape and it was mildly terrifying. And like, it was bookin’ it.
But I can’t stop thinking about it because tbh with those proportions that’s the only way it really could run.
Up to 80% of my brain energy is wasted on random thought prompts and involuntarily following them further and this is what I live with every day
*wants body to look a certain way* *eats 3 cookies, mac n cheese, kitchen sink, and small neighbor child*
Not sure who else to ask about this, so I’ll just throw it out there.
Does anyone have advice on what to do with a stray cat who decided I’m its friend now?
It lives on campus and hangs out in the same general area every evening, and sometimes people feed it chicken from their lunches and such. I’ve been taking it cat food for like ten days now and mostly I’ll just sit and hang out with it. If I get its attention from a ways away, it runs over, and then we go sit by a building while it eats. Now it asks for petting after finishing the food. One night it followed me all the way to my car, and if I go to another building it follows me. When I need to leave I’ve been going inside a building and leaving out the other side so it won’t follow me, because I genuinely think this cat might try to go across the street with me.
I had a cat growing up, and my roommate currently has a cat, so it’s not like I’m clueless on how to care for one. But I’m definitely a dog person. I like cats, but I don’t think I would go out and pick one to adopt, you know? I want to help this one, and it’s very sweet, but I don’t know if I’m the right person, I guess. I don’t understand cats as well as dogs and I wouldn’t want to unfairly end up expecting that kind of a relationship out of it, if that makes sense. Although this does seem like the kind of cat I could harness train and take on walks through the woods.
I haven’t adopted an animal on my own before and the idea of committing to a cat that I’d have for at least the next decade kind of scares me. I’ve thought maybe I’ll foster it after we take it to the vet to be fixed (because at the very least I’d like to do that). But what if it doesn’t work out as an apartment cat? What if my roommate’s cat can’t stand it? I can’t just dump it on campus again, can I? Is it better to just continue on as I’m doing things? Having a cat will limit where I can live for the rest of the time I have one. Plus there’s all the expenses. I’m literally the only other Bio grad student here right now that doesn’t have at least one cat, so none of them can take it in. I’ve asked.
Any advice? Is this something I could discuss with the vet? There’s a shelter in town that I’m pretty sure is no-kill but it’s not the greatest and I just want to do what’s best for the little thing.
PiraticOctopus 