 |
Research Bites PodcastAuthor: Kristina Spaulding, PhD, CAAB
The goal of Research Bites is to bring the science of applied animal behavior to non-scientists. In each episode, Dr. Kristina Spaulding interviews an animal behavior researcher and talks about how we apply science and research to working and living with dogs. Research Bites members get access to full-length episodes, as well as monthly webinars and chats about current research in dog behavior. Visit https://sciencemattersllc.com/research-bites for more details or to become a member. Language: en-us Genres: Kids & Family, Natural Sciences, Pets & Animals, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
#39: Wanting, Liking, and Motivation: A Conversation About Reinforcement
Episode 39
Thursday, 29 January, 2026
Today’s episode is a little different from the usual format.What you’re hearing is an actual recording from a Research Bites Coffee Break—an informal, unscripted conversation where behavior professionals think out loud about research, ask questions, and explore ideas together. There’s no lecture and no tidy conclusions—just real discussion and curiosity in action.The topic for this Coffee Break was the distinction between wanting and liking, two concepts that are often treated as interchangeable in training and behavior work, but that turn out to be meaningfully different. Liking refers to how much pleasure an animal experiences from a reinforcer. Wanting reflects motivation—the willingness to work for that reinforcer, sometimes described as something closer to craving.In this conversation, we explore how wanting and liking interact, why one can be present without the other, and what that means for learning, reinforcement, and behavior change. We also talk about how these ideas can help us think more carefully about motivation in practice, especially when training isn’t going the way we expect.If you’re interested in how scientific concepts evolve when people slow down, question assumptions, and apply them to real animals and real situations, this episode offers a candid look at that process.A huge thank you to the Research Bites members who attended this podcast: Juliet Purll, Faith Cleary, Mason Small, Suzanne Bryner, Chrysann Collatos, Lynne Stott, Lori Torrini, Karen Scott, Kristine Adams, Wendy Katz, Shannon Noonan, Paula Philips, Heather Furby, Alice Hengst, Kiem Sie.For more information, please check out my website and social media links below! Website: https://sciencemattersllc.com/ Unlocking Resilience: https://sciencemattersllc.com/unlocking-resilience Research Bites: https://sciencemattersllc.com/research-bites Join the Science Matters newsletter Facebook ...
