Lecture 5 - Decreasing Behaviour: Punishment

Issues with Punishment

• Philosophical opposition to punishment –

• Focus on least restrictiveness

• Human rights

• Punishment does not directly address controlling variables

Time-Out

1. Following the problem behavior

2. The child is removed from the reinforcing environment for a brief period of time

3. The problem behavior decreases in the future

Types of Time-Out

Exclusionary

Nonexclusionary

Exclusionary

removing subject from reinforcers but allowing them to remain in the environment

Nonexclusionary

removing reinforcers without removing subject from the environment

How do you choose?

Exclusionary

Nonexclusionary

Nonexclusionary is used when subject can be removed from reinforcing activities while remaining in the room AND the presence of the subject in the room does not disrupt others in the environment

How is the function of the problem behavior related to the effectiveness of Time Out?

Punishment is not suitable for negative OR automatic reinforcement

How is the “time in” environment related to the effectiveness of Time Out?

Time-in: environment where problem behaviour occurs

Using Time-Out

1. Start with a functional assessment and implement functional/nonaversive treatments first

2. Make sure the ‘time-in’ environment is reinforcing

3. Reinforce desirable behaviors

4. When the problem behavior occurs, take the child to the time-out area immediately

5. Provide no attention when taking the child to time-out

6. Time-out must be brief, practical, and safe

7. Provide no attention or other reinforcers during time-out

8. Prevent escape from time-out

9. Child must be calm before release from time out

10. Time-out must be acceptable to parents or other change agents before using the procedure**

Common Errors Implementing Time Out (TO)

• Nag, scold, etc. while taking child to TO

• Nag, scold, etc. while child is in TO

• Struggle with child while taking child to TO

• Struggle with child while in TO

• Let child escape TO

• Chase child around the room while in TO

• Terminate TO while problem behavior is occurring

• Tell child to go to TO but don’t follow through

• Threaten TO but don’t follow through

• Give numerous warnings before implementing TO

• Using TO for problem behavior maintained by escape

• Using TO for problem behavior maintained by self-stimulation

Response cost

is the removal of a specified amount of a reinforcer contingent on the occurrence of a problem behaviour

1. Following the problem behavior

2. A specified amount of a reinforcer is removed or lost

3. The problem behavior decreases in the future

Using Response Cost

1. Conduct a functional assessment and first implement functional/nonaversive treatments

2. Reinforce desirable behaviors

3. Identify the reinforcer to be lost

4. Decide if the loss if permanent or temporary

5. Explain procedure before implementing

6. Contingent on the problem, implement response cost immediately if possible

7. Symbolize the reinforcer loss if it is not immediate

8. Consider ethical issues regarding the loss of some reinforcers

9. Response cost must be practical and acceptable**

Common Errors Implementing Response Cost

• Repeatedly threaten to take something away

• Don’t follow through

• Scold, nag, get angry as you implement response cost

• Make reinforcer loss too delayed

• Struggle with the child to take the reinforcer

• In a token economy, take away more tokens that you deliver

• Implement an unethical reinforcer loss

Example of response-cost gone wrong

25 cents to speak english instead of tamil in dance class to the children

chidlren continued speaking english, and charged up to $2, ended up making teh parents pay dance teacher gave up

didnt keep up response cost

Comparing Extinction, Time-Out and Response Cost

• Extinction - The reinforcer for the problem behavior is no longer contingent on the behavior

• Time-Out - The person is removed from all sources of reinforcement or from the reinforcing environment contingent on the problem behavior

• Response Cost - Contingent on the problem behavior a reinforcer is removed, but not the reinforcer maintaining the problem behavior

Issues with Positive Punishment

• Currently - the least used behavior modification procedure

• Over-used and sometimes misused or abused

• Gave ABA and behavior modification a bad name

• Functional approaches to assessment and intervention replaced the reliance on punishment

Two Types of Positive Punishment

• Punishment by application of aversive activities

• Punishment by application of aversive stimulation

Punishment by Application of Aversive Activities

• Overcorrection

• Contingent exercise

• Guided compliance

• Physical restraint

Overcorrection

The individual has to engage in effortful behavior contingent on the problem behavior

Positive Practice

Restitution

Positive Practice

Contingent on the problem behavior the individual has to engage in correct forms of relevant behavior for a period of time

Restitution

Contingent on the problem behavior, the individual is required to fix the environment disrupted by the problem behavior

Contingent Exercise

• Contingent on the problem behavior, the individual engages in some effortful behavior for a specified period of time.

• The effortful behavior is unrelated to the problem behavior.

physical actiivty

Guided Compliance

Contingent on problem behavior that occurs following a request, the individual is physically guided to comply with the request.

• Involves positive punishment to decrease the problem behavior because physical guidance is contingent on the problem behavior.

• Involves negative reinforcement to increase compliance because removal of physical guidance is contingent on compliance.

Guided Compliance example

A teacher tells a child, "Pick up your toys." The child refuses to comply. The teacher then gently guides the child's hands to pick up the toys and helps them put the toys away.

Physical Restraint

• Contingent on the problem behavior, the body part involved in the behavior is held immobile for a specified period of time

• Often used with response blocking or response interruption

Response blocking:

Instead of restraining the person, you physically block the problem behavior before it can happen

Cautions in the Use of Aversive Activities

1. Change agent must be physically capable of using the procedure

2. Client may actively resist the procedure

3. Must be certain the physical contact involved in the procedure is not reinforcing to the client

4. Must be certain that the procedure can be carried out without harm

Punishment by Application of Aversive Stimulation

• Rarely if ever used in Behavior Modification or ABA

Punishment by Application of Aversive Stimulation examples

• lemon juice

• spray mist

• aromatic ammonia

• Facial screening

• reprimands

• auditory stimulation (noise)

Considerations in the use of Punishment by the Application of Aversive Stimulation

1. Use functional/nonaversive procedures first.

2. Implement differential reinforcement with punishment.

3. Consider the function of the problem behavior when choosing a punishment procedure.

4. Choose the aversive stimulus carefully.

5. Collect data to make treatment decisions.

6. Address ethical issues.

* Important considerations before using any punishment procedure

Problems With Punishment

• Emotional reactions / aggressive behavior

• Escape and avoidance behaviors

• Modeling the use of punishment

• Negative reinforcement for the use of punishment

• Establishing the user as a conditioned punisher

Before Using Punishment

1. Conduct a functional assessment

2. Identify the behavioral deficit as well as excess

3. First use functional/nonaversive treatments

• Extinction

• Differential reinforcement

• Antecedent manipulations

• Others (prompting and fading, behavioral skills training procedures, etc.)

Ethical Issues and Acceptability

• The use of painful or uncomfortable stimulation

• Informed consent

• Alternative treatments

• Safety

• Problem severity

• Implementation guidelines

• Training and supervision

• Peer review and accountability - prevent misuse