The Legacy of Charles Henry Turner in Animal Behavior Science
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
Release Date: 02/21/2025
The Legacy of Charles Henry Turner in Animal Behavior Science
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
Welcome to Look What You’ve Done!, a brand-new mini podcast series within the Animal Training Fundamentals catalog. This series follows the R.I.A. (Relate, Illuminate, Activate) approach—highlighting the remarkable stories of pioneers in animal behavior science, illuminating their contributions, and providing tangible steps to activate progress in our field. In this inaugural episode, host Barbara Heidenreich dives into the groundbreaking work of Charles Henry Turner—a scientist whose research on animal cognition, particularly in insects, was decades ahead of his time. Despite facing...
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43-Reaching Our Potential with Proper Attribution Pt 3.
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
Welcome to Part 3 of our captivating podcast series, “Freeing the Crabs from the Bucket. Reaching Our Potential by Recognizing Others,” from the Global Online Animal Training Series. In Part 1, we uncovered the concept of plagiarism and its benefits to the animal training industry. Part 2 revealed the industry's fallout from plagiarism. And now, in Part 3, we're debunking common myths and misconceptions about attribution, exploring different types of attribution, and providing practical tips on correctly attributing intellectual property. We wrap things up with some inspiration on what is...
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42-Reaching Our Potential with Proper Attribution Pt 2
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
Welcome to Part 2 of our podcast series, “Freeing the Crabs from the Bucket. Reaching Our Potential by Recognizing Others,” from the Global Online Animal Training Series. In Part 1, we explored the concept of plagiarism and its benefits to the animal training industry. Part 2 delves into the repercussions of plagiarism on the industry and the challenges of providing proper attribution. This episode is a bit more personal and sensitive, but I believe it will resonate with many of our listeners. Remember, you can access the course and download the visually appealing article for free at...
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41-Reaching Our Potential with Proper Attribution Pt 1
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
Are you a fan of multitasking? I certainly am, and that's why I love audiobooks. They allow me to absorb knowledge while walking my dog or preparing animal diets. In this podcast series, I'm your guide through “Freeing the Crabs from the Bucket. Reaching Our Potential by Recognizing Others.” This 24-page article, which I've been working on for nearly two years, has been a source of enlightenment for me. I believe we can foster industry collaboration and advance our practices by sharing this article. You can access the course and download the beautifully designed article for free at...
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40 - The Role of Assent in Animal Training with Anna Linnehan and Awab Abdel-Jalil
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
Assent is a new buzzword in animal training. But what does it really mean? My special guests, Anna Linnehan and Awab Abdel-Jalil, help us understand. These experts in nonlinear contingency analysis and the constructional approach have collaborated, along with others, to publish two articles on assent. They share an overview of their articles. They explain how to evaluate assent to participate and how you can monitor assent throughout a training session. They dissect the difference between genuine assent and apparent assent. Animal trainers have long presumed positive reinforcement is...
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39 - Maximizing the Conference Experience
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
In this episode we explore how conferences help you unlock the power of connection. We discover how to maximize the conference experience by delving into networking strategies, hidden learning opportunities, staying healthy to go the distance, and the importance of professionalism. From navigating over stimulation to starting meaningful conversations, we explore the pivotal strategies and insider tips that transform the conference experience into an opportunity for personal and professional growth. Whether you're a seasoned attendee or a first-time conference-goer, this podcast aims to equip...
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38 - The History of Giraffe Training with Amy Phelps
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
Amy Phelps is truly a pioneer in giraffe training. In this episode she shares the inspiring history of training giraffes. This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from someone who was there from the beginning, training behaviors for the very first time that have now become standard in the industry, such as training voluntary hoof care. You will get to hear the origin story of the firehose barrier so commonly used today, and its pros and cons. What is also significant is that Amy’s journey has progressed and continues to evolve. She shares exciting advances that have allowed her teams to...
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37 - The Details are in the Data
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
The information I share is frequently inspired by the work done in real life creating behavior change. This episode is no exception. During a recent zoo consultation data collection was essential to address a behavior challenge. Our observations revealed some very interesting results which led to refinements in our intervention. So much so, that we reached our goal in two minutes in our second training session! In this episode I cover reasons to consider collecting data for animal training. I also cover what information is helpful to collect, as well as how much information is...
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36 This is Uncomfortable.....
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
This episode was inspired by my own personal journey addressing some discomfort over a much-anticipated upcoming event. While helping myself become more relaxed, I was reminded of some parallels in my work with animals. The word uncomfortable can mean different things to different trainers. Therefore, I cover some common scenarios that trainers may describe as uncomfortable for animals. This might be cooperating in certain medical behaviors, or holding positions for duration, or doing behaviors in new environments. This also requires describing observable measurable behaviors that can...
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35 - Reinforcement Tactics. Different Types, What They Look Like, and How You Can Use Them
Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich
The recently published article Increasing Socially Significant Behaviors for Children with Autism Using Synchronous Reinforcement by Stordahl et al. (2023) has inspired this episode. Synchronous reinforcement, episodic reinforcement, conjugate reinforcement, and demand functions can all play a role in animal training. I explore these different reinforcement options and how they are applied, how they are different, and when one strategy or combination might be better than another. Listen to this episode to learn how these reinforcement tactics can help you achieve your training...
info_outlineWelcome to Look What You’ve Done!, a brand-new mini podcast series within the Animal Training Fundamentals catalog. This series follows the R.I.A. (Relate, Illuminate, Activate) approach—highlighting the remarkable stories of pioneers in animal behavior science, illuminating their contributions, and providing tangible steps to activate progress in our field.
In this inaugural episode, host Barbara Heidenreich dives into the groundbreaking work of Charles Henry Turner—a scientist whose research on animal cognition, particularly in insects, was decades ahead of his time. Despite facing immense societal barriers, Turner pioneered studies in insect learning, navigation, and Pavlovian conditioning, shaping the way we understand animal intelligence today.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🐜 Turner’s Revolutionary Research: How he debunked the notion that insects act purely on instinct and proved they can learn and adapt.
🐝 Honeybee Cognition: His experiments showing bees distinguish colors and patterns—paving the way for modern studies on insect vision.
🎶 Pavlovian Conditioning in Moths: How he demonstrated associative learning in insects, a discovery that shattered existing behavioral theories.
🐜 Ant Navigation Studies: How ants rely on memory and environmental cues rather than mere instinct to find their way.
🪳 Cockroach Learning & Long-Term Memory: His findings on how cockroaches retain learned avoidance behavior for weeks, challenging early notions of memory in insects.
Turner’s legacy isn’t just about science—it’s about resilience, curiosity, and pushing boundaries. His work reminds us that scientific discovery isn’t about titles or institutions—it’s about passion, perseverance, and the courage to seek truth.
How You Can Take Action: To honor and build upon Turner’s work, we encourage you to support diversity in behavioral science:
✅ Support Diversity in Science – Check out organizations like the Animal Behavior Society’s Diversity Fund: 🔗 Diversity Fund Student Registration Fee Award
✅ Donate to Scholarships & Grants – The Charles Henry Turner Award helps underrepresented students pursue careers in behavioral science: 🔗 Turner Award
✅ Support Underrepresented Voices in Science – Explore books like Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine, edited by Dr. Kemba Marshall: 🔗 Get the Book Here
✅ Join Community Groups – Get involved with groups like the Applied Animal Behavior Special Interest Group (AABSIG): 🔗 Join the AABSIG Facebook Group 
/ aabsig
✅ Mentor & Uplift Emerging Scientists – Connect with initiatives like 500 Women Scientists, which helps elevate diverse voices in STEM: 🔗 Mentorship & Advocacy https://500womenscientists.org/