Introduction to Psychology 10th Edition by Rod Plotnik,Haig Kouyoumdjian

Exercise 4

How Do You Train a Killer Whale?
If you have ever been to a marine park, then you most certainly have been entertained by watching the marvelous marine animal performances. In one show an enormous killer whale jumps through a ring suspended in air, waves to audience members with its fins, swims backward while standing up on its tail, and gently kisses a brave volunteer. Whales are taught to perform these impressive behaviors with the use of operant and classical conditioning techniques. Operant conditioning is used to train whales because when the consequences of performing a specific behavior are reinforcing, the whale will likely repeat the behavior. Positive reinforcers for whales may include food, toys, back scratches, being sprayed with a hose, or another favorite activity. Giving the whale positive reinforcers immediately after it performs a specific behavior makes it likely that the behavior will increase in frequency, duration, and intensity in a similar situation. The use of classical conditioning is also necessary to teach a whale to perform complex behaviors. Because it is not always possible to reinforce the whale immediately after it performs a specific behavior, trainers must use a signal (whistle) to provide the whale with immediate feedback that it has correctly performed the desired behavior. A whale learns the meaning of the whistle by the trainer whistling before giving the whale food. Over the course of several trials, the whale comes to associate the whistle with receiving food and the whale performs the behavior to get the reinforcement. Once the association between the whistle and the reinforcer is established, whales can be taught to perform complex behaviors. First, the whale is taught to follow a target, such as a long stick with a ball at the end. The target guides the whale in a direction, and when the target touches the whale, the trainer blows the whistle and reinforces the whale. After this is done several times, the target is moved farther away and the trainer waits for the whale to touch it before providing reinforcement. The whale learns that making contact with the target results in being reinforced. Now, when the whale performs a behavior that is close to the desired behavior, the trainer whistles and the whale approaches to receive a positive reinforcer. Teaching whales to perform behaviors may appear like a relatively easy task while watching the trainers and whales interact on stage, but the truth is that training whales to perform is challenging and dangerous work. Trainers need to be committed, patient, and friendly to earn the whale's trust, and even then it can take months or even years to teach a whale a complex set of behaviors. Also, the deadly killer whale attack on his longtime trainer that took place at SeaWorld is a tragic reminder of the "killer" in even the best-trained whales.
Question
Can whales learn to do tricks by just watching other whales perform?