A behavioral principle refers to the adaptations of certain characteristics to achieve more functional and appropriate behaviors in a given natural environment. The Applied Behavioral Analysis principles aim to achieve functions such as avoidance, access to tangibles, and instant gratification. Therefore, squirrels apply behavioral principles by making various attempts to cross the obstacles the engineer built to reach the walnuts.
Various behavioral principles are observed as the engineer established obstacles to prevent squirrels from eating birds’ food. The first principle is that changes in the environment affect behaviors. The squirrels could easily reach the cereals in the bird feeder, at first, until the engineer built obstacles to limit the rodents. The rodents learned new behavior as they opened the closing cage with cereals and escaped and crossed the obstacles. Secondly, changes in the environment can strengthen or impair the behaviors of squirrels. The rodents used their hind legs to hang on the cliff and stretch downwards to open the cereal cage. Squirrels descended from high heights head-first by rotating their hind feet. Thirdly, the positive antecedents of change effectively alter the rodent’s behaviors. Squirrels’ abilities to open the locking cage alter their climbing nature and hanging to reach the food (Rober, (n.d.)). The squirrels use their long tails to balance on the cage cliff after falling while trying to open the feeder equipment.
The fourth principle suggests that socially significant changes reinforced squirrels’ ability to jump and descend from high heights. The squirrels had to move through a repetitive eight part ninja warrior obstacle to reach the walnuts. Finally, practicing the desired behavior facilitates or leads to greater responses. The squirrels practice running and leaping about trees, balancing their long tails on the cliffs (Rober, (n.d.)). The slippery cliffs challenged their climbing abilities; hence, they preferred jumping and rotating their bodies to descend on the course.
Behavioral flexibility enables animals to adapt their actions to changing environmental conditions. The observation shows that squirrels’ behaviors changed as they started by choosing to eat walnuts apart from other cereals. The rodents learned through persevering the obstacles, trying chance levels, and adaptation. Hence, these behavioral principles helped the squirrels use their natural talents to quickly adapt to the changing nature and reinforce strategies to access food.
Reference
Rober, M. (n.d.). Backyard squirrel maze 1.0- ninja warrior course. [Video] YouTube.