Punishment

Types of Punishments

Different methods of reducing behavior through consequences.

Positive Punishment

Method that involves adding an unpleasant stimulus after a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.

Negative Punishment

Decreasing a behavior by removing a desirable stimulus after the behavior occurs.

Contingency (Variables)

Dependency between the behavior and punishment.

Contiguity (Variables)

Closeness in time between the behavior and punishment.

Punisher Intensity (Variables)

Intensity can significantly influence a punishment's effects.

Reinforcement of punished behavior (Variable)

Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior, while punishment decreases it.

Introductory Level (Variable)

Consistency, intensity of the punishment, the presence of alternative behaviors and reinforcement for those alternatives

Motivating Operations (Variables)

Can increase or decrease the effectiveness of a punisher.

Qualitative Features of Punisher (Variables)

Characteristics of the aversive stimuli.

Two-process theory

Punishment works through the combination of classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

One-process theory

Punishment works through a single process of operant conditioning.

Potential Problems

Escape, aggression, apathy, imitation of punisher, potential for abuse.

Side effects of punishment

Includes fear and anxiety, impairment of attention, and learned helplessness.

Response prevention

Altering the environment to prevent undesirable behavior instead of punishing.

Differential Reinforcement

Differential Reinforcement of other behavior (DRO)

Differential reinforcement of low rates of behavior (DRL)

Differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviors (DRI)

Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO)

A procedure that combines non-reinforcement of unwanted behavior with reinforcement of other behavior.

Differential reinforcement of low rates of behavior (DRL)

Reinforces behavior at a desirable level rather than eliminating it.

Differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviors (DRI)

Reinforcement of behavior that is incompatible with the unwanted behavior.