ArticleAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI2026
Rethinking Negative Reinforcement in Zoo Animal Welfare: A Constructional Approach to Distance as a Reinforcer to Address Fear and Aggression.
Article in Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Abstract
Fear and aggressive responses in zoo animals are commonly maintained by negative reinforcement, with the animal's behavior functioning to create distance from an aversive stimulus. Traditional approaches such as systematic desensitization and counterconditioning may be less effective because they do not contact this maintaining contingency and may instead superimpose competing contingencies, producing incomplete change. This paper presents the case for negative reinforcement shaping as a functionally aligned, welfare-positive intervention applied within the constructional approach. We review the empirical literature, address persistent misconceptions, and provide procedural guidance. Two case studies are presented: a male Amur tiger (
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