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IF YOUR CHILD WERE SHAMU, WOULD HE PERFORM?

There are more than half a dozen Sea World attractions in the world and all of them enjoy the presence of SHAMU, a killer whale or Orca. All of these Orcas, never failing, perform intricate routines. None of these routines resemble the behavior of Orcas in the wild ocean. No seaman has ever reported a wild killer whale doing back flips or carrying a diver on her nose.

No SHAMU ever fails. Every single performance is perfect. All the stunts and tricks are performed. Saying that no SHAMU ever fails is another way of saying that no Shamu trainer ever fails. No one would ever suggest that the Orca is at fault if the whale did not learn a routine as quickly as another Orca had learned it.

Sea World's consistency of success with these huge, intelligent mammals is a result of their rigorous use of what psychologists know about learning and behavior.

HOW DO YOU PUNISH A 20,000 POUND KILLER WHALE?

Very carefully, or not at all. Sea World punishes not at all. While some Orcas are more talented than others, all of them learn through the same path as all the others. The teacher carefully defines the goal - none of the actions a trained Orca takes are ambiguous and none of them has ever been done by a wild whale. Orcas learn the same way humans learn, by being rewarded for taking tiny steps toward a concrete goal.

LEARNING IS ALWAYS BETTER ACCOMPLISHED WHEN a pupil - human or Orca - is rested, well fed and in a good humor. You or an Orca can learn to stay off a hot stove, or hide from a tiger very quickly - even in a bad temper. Imitations of such escapes are not easily included in every day life. If you've sat on too many hot surfaces, or been chased by too many tigers, you are much less likely to learn easy ways of relating to others - Orcas or humans - than someone is who has never sat on a hot stove or been chased by a tiger. Fear destroys the ability to learn anything but ways to escape. A rested, happy, satisfied pupil learns quickly.

WHEN AN ORCA IS SULKING, trainers never scold or fuss. They wait, or they dump a basket full of fish into the water just to break up the mood. Not a reward, just a way of shifting gears.

NO ORCA EVER DID A BACK FLIP IN THE WILD OCEAN. To teach a whale to do a back flip, the trainer cannot say "Go do a back flip, SHAMU, and I'll give you a fish". The trainer must think through the whole action of flipping backwards and figure out what is the slightest beginning of flipping backwards. When SHAMU barely noses up out of the tank, ZIP! a fish. GOOD WHALE!!!

WHEN THE WHALE HAS LEARNED that a fish accompanies a slight bob out of the water, then the trainer waits until it makes a bigger bob. We don't give a fish every time, but about one in three, and not on a routine but in a varied way. When we reward the whale every time he performs he gets to expect the reward and when he doesn't get it, he thinks he is being punished.

IT IS MORE EFFECTIVE TO REWARD INTERMITTENTLY on a random schedule than to give a reward every time. The tangible reward can quickly become associated with praise, patting and enthusiasm. This climate of praise, excitement and positive association quickly becomes much more powerful than a mere fish (or dollar, or any other tangible reward). Intangible rewards are more powerful for people, dogs, cats, and Orcas.

WHEN WE TRAIN SHAMU WE NEVER NOTICE MISTAKES. Ignore mistakes. Mistakes didn't happen. In the Sea World tank wasted motion is ignored until the routine is fluently played by the whale. After the whale has become fluent, then the trainer ignores a sloppy routine. When an animal starts goofing off, we go back to something that is easy to do - then we reward the easier routine. If the animal is sulking and just hanging around, we may just dump in a whole basket of fish for nothing at all. This seems to establish our bona fides - we are really okay and on SHAMU's side. REWARD, PRAISE, ENTHUSIASM!

MISTAKES DIDN'T HAPPEN.

EVERY SHAMU ON EARTH IS AN 'A' STUDENT. Every SHAMU trainer on earth consistently follows these eight simple rules for teaching and learning:

1. The teacher figures out a clear cut goal which can be described as actions the animal must perform. No vague requests like "be good".
2. The teacher figures out how to break the path to the final goal into easily achieved mini-goals slowly going all the way.
3. When the trainer works with the animal, she is positive and happy.
4. At first give a reward IMMEDIATELY and every time the animal even comes close to performing an interim goal.
5. IGNORE MISTAKES.
6. Slowly increase your standard for performance; and give rewards randomly only about one-third of the time.
7. Give rewards immediately for approximations of the next step.
8. Repeat the process, adding step after step to each performance of mini-goals.

DO YOU HAVE A 'SHAMU' TO TRAIN?

Are you as good a trainer as a teenager who works for Sea World? Animals can easily be trained by teenagers who have a day or two of instruction - when the teenager follows the rules. It is no more difficult for a teenager to train her parents. (Or vice-versa.)

Of course, humans have a wonderful advantage over other animals - they can speak and understand language. It is tedious to get animals to respond to conditional signals. It is very easy to train and to untrain humans. "When I say 'red' lift your right hand". The connection is immediately formed and a cooperative person lifts her right hand when I say 'red'. Just as quickly she lifts her left hand if I say "Now, when I say 'red', lift your left hand".

Even though they talk, humans, too, respond to quick, appropriate rewards. People are especially responsive to a positive emotional climate and they respond eagerly to an atmosphere of praise and positive responses to successful performance. People also respond very well to positive requests. Positive requests to do something are easily understood and easily carried out.

Even though some statements sound like requests, they are really only invitations to fight. "Why don't you go play outside?" "Why don't you be good?" "Why are you always so bad?" Each one of these is worse than the one before. Actually they all increase unwanted actions. If you want your human 'Shamu' to perform, then make simple, direct, positive requests to do something.

Sometimes talk is useless. If a husband isn't romantic it is a waste of time to ask him to be "more" romantic. He doesn't know what you are talking about. He needs training. You must think through what 'romantic' means to you. You must think of what the smallest, tiniest, first gesture toward acting in a romantic fashion could be.

Then you have to think of something simple the man will recognize as a reward. Some men are highly stimulated by rewards which other men regard as punishments. When your man makes any slight gesture toward the most fractional element of 'romantic behavior' then reward him. Immediately! If a child whines - don't waste your time telling the child not to whine. Listen for speech which approximates the English you want to hear. Reward the child. QUICKLY! Fortunately, God is merciful, and children are easier to train than spouses. Parents often tell their kids "You are talking back". No child in the history of the world ever improved their talking behavior by being told they are indulging in 'back talk'. The phrase is too vague, general, unfair, and basically it is indulging in name calling.

Sometimes for some people it is harder to be simple, relaxed and funny than to be serious. Simple methods work when they are used by a relaxed person who enjoys a sense of humor.

PLEASE REMEMBER. Every SHAMU in the world has been trained according to eight simple principles:

1. You are in charge of deciding what it is you want the critter to do.
2. You have to think out what you want in objective detail.
3. You are the trainer so it is up to you to be positive and UP! Be willing to give a bunch of rewards for no reason at all.
4. Watch for the smallest most nearly correct action and reward it immediately.
5. IGNORE MISTAKES!
6. Slowly increase your standards, reward the better, then only the best; and only one in two or three, but randomly.
7. Give rewards immediately for approximations of the next step.
8. Repeat and go back through the process adding little step by little step.

Never, in the whole history of Marineland, Sea World and all the wonderful universe of animal shows has there ever been an animal that failed, had a learning disability or was retarded. When you have to pay half a million dollars for your pupil, you learn to teach her. PERIOD.

If your mother were SHAMU, would she perform?

If your child were SHAMU, would your child perform?

If your wife were SHAMU, would she perform?

If your husband were SHAMU, would he perform?

Effective management can be reduced to 8 simple actions taken by YOU!!!!!

1. Set a clear goal described as something to do.
2. Set a series of goals moving in tiny steps from just a hint to the complete final goal.
3. Be positive, happy and optimistic.
4. Reward IMMEDIATELY for every slight move toward the goal at first.
5. IGNORE MISTAKES.
6. Slowly increase your standard for performance and reduce the percentage of rewards.
7. Give rewards immediately for every approximations of the next step.
8. Repeat the process, adding step after step to each achievement of mini-goals.

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