What's an Aversive?

For those of you who have read blogs addressing animal training you may have run across the word "aversive" from time to time. When I first came across this word my eyes became glazed over with extra water produced by my tear glands in an attempt to continue reading said article without actually knowing what I was reading about.

But this was a waste for tear glands! An aversive isn't a very complicated thing and by the end of this blog post you are reading here at The Sequential Psittacene you will have no trouble explaining what an aversive is and how to spot one.

An Aversive is a term extracted from the field of science called Behavior Modification (also known as Applied Behavior Analysis). Like a specialized hummingbird flitting from flower to flower in Martha Stuart's Vineyard, you are getting just a taste of nectar from a single petunia within the field of behavior modification.

The End of a Great Adventure at IAATE

What an event! It stayed filled to the brim like a fresh stout of beer with unending new ideas and innovative people acting as the rich bubbly foam popping very silently, confident and consistently.

Yes. I just compared IAATE to beer. And I was encouraged to do it! It is just one of the many new things I learned here at this amazing conference as part of the Presentation Skills workshop. But learning doesn't stop at workshops and lectures, it continues when you meet the people of IAATE.  Let the photos help explain.

Animal Collections!

I've been getting curious with some pretty gross stuff lately and The Brain Scoop hasn't been helping!

I'm a fairly active member in my college's Biology club and jumped at the opportunity to help maintain their herpatology collection!

Here we are sorting, filling, and oogling at the massive quantities of dead snakes, tortises, lizards and eggs! Each with their own unique dazzling scales or foreign patterns.

And there is still more to finish. I hope I can tag along next time!