Have you ever wondered how the trainers at Sea World get the 19,000-pound whale to jump 22 feet out of water and perform tricks? They get that whale to go over a rope farther out of the water than most of us can imagine. .
So how do the trainers at Sea World do it? The first thing they do is reinforce(强化) the behavior that they want repeated — in this case, to get the whale to go over the rope., in a position where the whale can't help but do what's expected of it. Every time the whale goes over the rope, it's given positive reinforcement and gets fed with fish. But what happened when the whale goes under the rope? Nothing — no criticism, no warning and no feedback. .
Positive reinforcement is the key of that simple principle that produces such splendid results. And as the whale begins to go over the rope more often than under, the trainers begin to raise the rope. It must be raised slowly enough so that the whale doesn't starve.
. Make a big deal out of the good and little stuff that we want consistently. Secondly, under-criticize. People know they need help when they mess up. , people will not forget the event and usually will not repeat it.
So we need to set up the circumstances so that people can't fail. Over-celebrate, under-criticize…and know how far to raise the rope.
A. This is a great challenge
B. And the whale stays right where it is
C. If we figure out a way to motivate the whale
D. They start with the rope below the surface of the water
E. If we under-criticize, punish and discipline less than expected
F. Whales are taught that their negative behavior won't be acknowledged
G. The simple lesson to be learned from the whale trainers is to over-celebrate
