Relationship Conditioning

When we train behaviors operantly, classical conditioning is happening throughout. Conditioning every aspect of our training, the objects, behaviors, and relationships throughout. If we're training by bringing good things that make our learners feel good, confident, and eager to participate, we're conditioning everything appetitively. While if our training is done with the use of aversives and the horse working for removal/relief, we are conditioning the whole picture (including our relationship) aversively.

Both techniques work to train behavior, they effectively create, motivate, and reinforce the behaviors we want. But both condition the emotions that come with it all opposite each other.

The problem with opposites is that when you introduce two opposites they oppose each other and create conflict, stress, confusion, anxiety, lack of predictability. No matter where in the ABC equation the aversives mixes into the positive training we run the risk of poisoning. We may poison the cue, the behavior, or our relationship and training as a whole.

Enough aversives happen throughout life when we don't expect it that we don't need to add any intentionally to our planned training.

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Manding

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The Matching Rule