# 63: Training on the Continuum: Moving Away from Coercion and Towards Genuine Choice with Steve Martin, Natural Encounters, Inc.

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/animal-behavior-conversations-the-podcast-of-the-abma-6055377/63-training-on-the-continuum-moving-away-from-coercion-and-towards-genuine-choice-with-steve-martin-natural-encounters-inc
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/animal-behavior-conversations-the-podcast-of-the-abma-6055377/63-training-on-the-continuum-moving-away-from-coercion-and-towards-genuine-choice-with-steve-martin-natural-encounters-inc.md
Podcast: [Animal Behavior Conversations: The Podcast of The ABMA](https://stenobird.com/podcast/animal-behavior-conversations-the-podcast-of-the-abma-6055377)
Published: 2025-04-16T09:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theabmapodcast/episodes/63-Training-on-the-Continuum-Moving-Away-from-Coercion-and-Towards-Genuine-Choice-with-Steve-Martin--Natural-Encounters--Inc-e31jkej
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/d9199a04/podcast/play/101355411/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-3-16%2Ff7e9f87d-caeb-e53e-441c-7482d45e2042.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/animal-behavior-conversations-the-podcast-of-the-abma-6055377/episodes/63-training-on-the-continuum-moving-away-from-coercion-and-towards-genuine-choice-with-steve-martin-natural-encounters-inc
Duration seconds: 4308

## Resource

This episode Steve Martin, President and CEO of Natural Encounters, Inc., discusses training on a continuum by moving away from coercion and towards genuine choice. Steve starts the episode by giving a review of the concepts of choice and… control with some practical examples. The discussion then turns to breaking down behavioral degrees of freedom, genuine choice, and coercion with many more great practical examples. The episode ends with Steve outlining that real-world animal training requires us to train on the continuum but always striving towards providing genuine choice in order to enhance an animal’s welfare. Stay tuned in for Steve’s motivation and emotional "Training Tale" about a trainer from a show at the Singapore Zoo. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠abc@theabma.org⁠ and to contact Steve email s.martin@naturalencounters.com⁠ Let's talk some training and banter about behavior! 3:45 Introduction to Steve Martin 9:25 Review of Choice and… Control 18:55 Degrees of Behavioral Freedom 28:20 Free Choice 30:35 Genuine Choice 44:05 Coercion 56:15 Training on the Continuum 1:04:15 “Training Tales”

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/animal-behavior-conversations-the-podcast-of-the-abma-6055377/episodes/63-training-on-the-continuum-moving-away-from-coercion-and-towards-genuine-choice-with-steve-martin-natural-encounters-inc/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/animal-behavior-conversations-the-podcast-of-the-abma-6055377/63-training-on-the-continuum-moving-away-from-coercion-and-towards-genuine-choice-with-steve-martin-natural-encounters-inc.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.