Department
of Psychology
Indiana
University,
Bloomington
BEHAVIOR SYSTEMS
AND
LEARNING LAB (BSL)
Welcome
ZOO PROJECTS
Zoos, like the laboratory, provide a unique environment, where organisms adjust to captive settings based not only on current environmental manipulations, but on species-typical mechanisms that they have evolved. In certain circumstances, the current captive setting and these niche-related mechanisms provide a mismatch, which can lead to undesired behavior, such as stereotypic activity. In recent years, zoos have found solice in eliminating many of these problems through the use of environmental enrichment and respondent/operant training procedures. Much of our research involves examining the relation between food, enrichment, training, and other captive setting variables, and how these relate to species-typical behaviors. Zoos generally desire naturalistic behaviors on the part of their animals, both for education benefits for patrons and for the welfare implications for their animals. By better understanding the function of many abnormal captive behaviors and tying these into species-typical mechanisms that a species has evolved, it's more likely that interventions can be developed that allow for the captive environment to promote those desired naturalistic behaviors. Additionally, because of the unique environment of the zoo, a number of scientific endeavors can be pursued that would otherwise not be feasible in the wild or in the lab. Below are several zoo projects we are currently involved in.
Polar Bear Stereotypic and General Activity Patterns under Fixed-Time Food Schedules
Training Penguins to Interact with Enrichment Items for Lasting Effects
The Effects of Foraging Mats as Enrichment in Captive Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus).
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