A new instrumental/operant conditioning technique suitable for inquiry-based activities in courses on experimental psychology, learning, and comparative psychology using planaria (dugesia dorotocephala and dugesia tigrina)1

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel approach to teaching instrumental/operant conditioning to students using planarians. Planarians are shaped to move increasingly longer distances along the edge of a petri dish to search for water. The procedure can be done within approximately 30 to 60 min., is easy to replicate, and control animals not trained to seek out water will exhibit non-directional behavior consisting of several starts and stops and turns. In addition to learning about basic operant conditioning principles, students learn such important skills as shaping, patience, observation, consistency, and timing. The majority of students reported that the activity was enjoyable but sometimes frustrating. The exercise is appropriate for a wide range of classes including animal behavior, comparative psychology, experimental psychology, learning, and history of psychology.