Training Day 5: The Last Reset

 September 18 marks the final day of resetting progress for Bennie. Because Bennie struggled with FR2 yesterday, we revert back to FR1 for the last time, unbeknownst to us. Things finally click. In 12 minutes of FR1, Bennie presses the lever 67 times. I feel as though she is ready for FR2. 

Over the course of the next 16 minutes, Bennie presses the lever 229 times - earning 114 reinforcements. An immense sense of pride overwhelms me. I cannot stop smiling and congratulate Bennie on her success as she munches on her well-deserved chocolate pellets.

One thing I observed about Bennie during this training session was that her behavior was less random (or it appeared to be less random). Bennie's actions tended to gravitate more toward the lever. Even when she was not interacting with it, Bennie spent more time in the corner of the operant box that held the lever. She seemed less distracted and more eager to engage with the lever.