FAMILY MATTERS
Magical moment before the real show begins

By Michael C.DeMattos

She was no more than 24, physically fit, with sun-bleached hair and a tan that that was more uniform than fashion statement.

She started with a quick lesson on dolphin anatomy and then progressed to dolphin training.

"Does anyone here know what operant conditioning is?" she asked.

The kids were clueless, bewilderment pasted across their faces, but I knew what she was talking about. I was suddenly transported back in time to high school, and it was I who sat transfixed in my introduction to psychology class.

That was the start for me, a class that was supposed to be nothing more than an easy grade and a way to avoid the tough courses like trigonometry, physics and calculus. That was not the case, of course. The grade, which I cannot remember, was hard-fought, and the course itself informed every professional decision that I have made since.

Our trainer at Sea Life Park explained that operant conditioning was simply a way of training the marine mammals by using rewards instead of punishment. Whenever the dolphin displayed a desired behavior, it was rewarded, usually with stinky fish.

If the dolphin displayed an unwanted behavior, it was ignored. Operant conditioning is more complex than this, of course, but in distilled form this seemed as good a definition as any and probably more clearly stated than I have ever done.

Over 20 years removed from high school, I now provide lessons on operant conditioning to adult learners at the University of Hawai'i. Sitting in the Ocean Theater however, I was the student again.

Just then, the trainer asked for two volunteers. I would have volunteered myself, but we were not there for me. We were here for the Brownies. Several troops had signed on for an overnighter. We were "Dozing with the Dolphins" and we were loving every minute of it.

Two girls ambled down the stairs of the amphitheater and were quickly given directions. One was going to be the trainer and the other would be the "dolphin." Using only nonverbal rewards — hand clapping in this case — the trainer guided the "dolphin" up and down stairs and through numerous rows of chairs. The "dolphin" stood and then sat and then stood again with amazing efficiency. Each time she made an undesirable move, the trainer ignored her. When the "dolphin" got it right, it was showered with joyous clapping. Quickly trained themselves, the audience joined in on the fun.

After the session was completed, the volunteer trainer and "dolphin" took a bow to the raucous cheers of the audience. The show soon ended and a sea of little girls surged around my feet, a racing tide reaching for the next shore.

I couldn't help but think that for one of those girls water had magically met land and a dream was born. In the future, she may look back and remember this day as the day her heart was called and her life, defined. I stood, then, humbled by the moment and clapped, not for the show I had just witnessed but for the one that was soon to begin.

Family therapist Michael C. DeMattos has a master's degree in social work.