The Effect of Sound and Food on the Intellect and Resultant Behavior of Wild Squirrels.

School Name

Heathwood Hall Episcopal School

Grade Level

9th Grade

Presentation Topic

Psychology

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Abstract

In this experiment, the effect of sound and food on the training and the intelligence of wild squirrels was tested upon. The purpose of this research project was to support Pavlov’s Theory of classical conditioning and to find if it was possible to train wild squirrels using sound and food. Pavlov has already proved it possible to train animals that are accustomed to human contact, but this experiment did not support that it is possible to train animals that are not used to human contact. It was hypothesized that if the squirrels can relate the sound on the phone to the food, then the squirrels will rush down to the platform after the sound is played. There was a board set up on a tree in the researcher’s backyard. Food was put on the board everyday for 10 days. Whenever the food was put on the board, a sound was played. If the squirrels related the sound to the food then the would’ve thought that the sound means food. On the last day of experimentation, just the sound is played. If the squirrels come to look for food on the board, then the experiment would’ve been a success. In this experiment, the squirrels found the food and ate it, but never related the food to the sound.

Location

Founders Hall 251 B

Start Date

3-30-2019 2:00 PM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 30th, 2:00 PM

The Effect of Sound and Food on the Intellect and Resultant Behavior of Wild Squirrels.

Founders Hall 251 B

In this experiment, the effect of sound and food on the training and the intelligence of wild squirrels was tested upon. The purpose of this research project was to support Pavlov’s Theory of classical conditioning and to find if it was possible to train wild squirrels using sound and food. Pavlov has already proved it possible to train animals that are accustomed to human contact, but this experiment did not support that it is possible to train animals that are not used to human contact. It was hypothesized that if the squirrels can relate the sound on the phone to the food, then the squirrels will rush down to the platform after the sound is played. There was a board set up on a tree in the researcher’s backyard. Food was put on the board everyday for 10 days. Whenever the food was put on the board, a sound was played. If the squirrels related the sound to the food then the would’ve thought that the sound means food. On the last day of experimentation, just the sound is played. If the squirrels come to look for food on the board, then the experiment would’ve been a success. In this experiment, the squirrels found the food and ate it, but never related the food to the sound.