Graded errorless training is the general approach that I use for modifying behaviors. It can be used to reinforce desired behaviors, or gradually modify undesirable ones. The easiest way to explain it is probably just to break the term apart and examine the different words individually.
Starting with the term “errorless”, which is a method of teaching or changing behaviors that seeks to avoid mistakes that arise through trial-and-error. Pretty straightforward, right? But how do avoid making errors? Well, errors are avoided by setting up the animal’s learning environment so that they don’t get the chance to make the “mistake” in the first place.
So, say that the “mistake” in this hypothetical situation is that a scared dog gets overwhelmed and shuts down. We seek to avoid the shutting down behavior (which is very counterproductive to training and desensitization) by controlling the animal’s surroundings (as much as possible) so that they’re never overwhelmed by the stimuli that eventually lead to shut down. This is the “A” in the ABC’s of training—antecedents. We help guide the animal around any situations that can lead to “errors” that are counterproductive to desensitization or socialization. Oftentimes this means that we “guide” the environment around the animal!
Now, the term “graded” means that while working with an animal, we progress through the behavior modification process incrementally. You know immersion therapy? Where you attempt to override somebody’s fear response by immersing them in the object or situation that they most fear. This is basically the direct opposite of that! We want to prevent the type of overwhelming immersion that can lead to shut down or drastic avoidance behaviors.
But we can’t just avoid every potential problem-stimulus forever and hope to see behavioral change, so we introduce these stimuli in a graded manner that allows the animal to acclimate to them at their own pace, while also causing as little discomfort to them as possible. Once we’ve acclimated to a certain level of stimulation and gotten the animal comfortable with it, we can move on to the next gradation. We allow the animal to set the pace that they’re comfortable with, which helps us avoid any major “errors”!
