Question

Hannah is an aspiring medical student interested in decreasing the number of deaths associated with cancer through early detection. One way to detect cancer early on is with dogs who can smell biochemical differences in cancer patients. Hannah would like to utilize this method by creating a canine training program at her university. She has a rudimentary understanding of learning theory and will use this knowledge to train a newly adopted dog named Walter. She believes that positive punishment will be the most effective way to train a dog to sniff out cancer but wants to explore all of her options.

Part A
Answer the following questions as they related to Hannah's proposed experiment.

What is a valid operational definition for canine cancer detection?

What is an example of positive punishment in this context?

Part B

The graph above compares the success rates in early cancer detection of four different dogs across ten trials. Use this information to answer the questions below.

Explain the research design used to obtain the data collected.

Explain the reinforcement schedule most likely applied to Walter.

Discuss how the data does or does not support the hypothesis.

Answer 1

Part A:

A valid operational definition for canine cancer detection could be the ability of a trained dog to correctly identify cancer samples from non-cancer samples with a certain level of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.

An example of positive punishment in this context could be using a harsh word or a physical correction whenever the dog fails to identify a cancer sample correctly. However, positive punishment is generally not recommended in dog training as it can have negative side effects and may not be as effective as positive reinforcement.

Part B:

The research design used in the graph is a within-subjects design, where the same four dogs were tested on all ten trials. The dogs were exposed to four different scents (two cancer samples and two non-cancer samples) in a random order, and their responses (whether they identified the scent as cancer or non-cancer) were recorded.

The reinforcement schedule most likely applied to Walter is a variable ratio schedule, where the dog is rewarded (e.g., with a treat or praise) after a certain number of correct responses, but the number of responses required for reinforcement varies randomly. This is a highly effective schedule for maintaining a behavior (in this case, cancer detection) and preventing extinction.

The data appears to support the hypothesis that some dogs can be trained to detect cancer samples with high accuracy. However, it is important to note that the sample size is very small (only four dogs), and there is a wide range of success rates among the dogs (from 40% to 90%). This suggests that there may be individual differences in dogs' ability to detect cancer, and more research with larger sample sizes is needed to confirm the findings. Additionally, it is unclear how the dogs were trained or how the cancer samples were prepared, which could impact the results.

Answer 2

A valid operational definition for canine cancer detection is the ability of a dog to accurately identify and locate cancerous cells or tumors in a patient's body through their sense of smell. An example of positive punishment in training a dog to sniff out cancer could be giving the dog a mild electric shock for failing to detect cancer. The graph compares the success rates of different dogs in early cancer detection, and the hypothesis is supported if the dogs consistently perform better than random chance.

Step-by-step explanation:

A valid operational definition for canine cancer detection would be the ability of a dog to accurately identify and locate cancerous cells or tumors in a patient's body through their sense of smell.

An example of positive punishment in this context could be if the dog is given a mild electric shock every time it fails to correctly identify the presence of cancer in a patient. This punishment would decrease the likelihood of the dog making a false negative or failing to detect cancer.

The research design used to obtain the data collected in the graph is a comparative study, where the success rates of four different dogs in early cancer detection are compared. The dogs are tested in ten trials to see how many times they correctly identify the presence of cancer.

The reinforcement schedule most likely applied to Walter is a fixed ratio schedule, where Walter is reinforced (e.g., given a treat or praised) every time he correctly detects cancer. This encourages him to continue performing the desired behavior.

The data supports the hypothesis if we see a higher success rate in cancer detection for the dogs compared to chance. If the dogs consistently perform better than random chance, it suggests that they have been effectively trained to sniff out cancer.