Escape, Avoidance, & Punishment

Negative Reinforcement

Removing a stimulus to increase the strength of the response.

Escape

Performance of the behavior terminates the aversive stimulus.

Avoidance

Performance of the behavior prevents the aversive stimulus from occurring.

Positive Punishment

The presentation of an event to decrease the future strength of that response.

Negative Punishment

The removal of a certain event leading to a decrease in the future strength of that response.

2 common mistakes of time out

The loss of access to positive reinforcers for a brief period of time following the occurrence of a problem behavior. 1. the time out setting is actually more reinforcing than the setting from which the child was removed and 2.Time outs can be too long 

Primary Punisher

An event that is innately punishing (e.g., intense heat, loud noise).

Conditioned Punisher

An event that has become punishing due to its association with another punisher. Ex. red ink or check marks next to wrong answer, full name used by parent, no (harsh voice)

Learned Helplessness

The decrement in learning ability resulting from repeated exposure to uncontrollable aversive events.

What is learned helplessness, and how did Seligman and Maier (1967) demonstrate it with dogs? 

Seligman and Maier (1967) used dogs to show learned helplessness through inescapable and escapable shocks.

Problems Associated with Punishment 1

Punishment often results in unwanted behavior.

Problems Associated with Punishment 2

Generalized suppression of other behaviors.

Problems 1-7 say that punishment often results in either unwanted behavior, generalized suppression of other behaviors, does not directly the occurrence of adaptive behavior, avoids the person who delivers the punishment, aggressive reactions and strong emotional responses. Punishment is overused in society because it often has an immediate effect in stopping unwanted behavior, but the use of punishment is often strongly reinforced.  

 

Note that behaviorists do not recommend the use of punishment, but that it is important to study because it can sometimes be appropriate to quickly suppress dangerous behavior. Explain problems 1-7 associated with the use of punishment. Explain why punishment is often so overused in our society (# 8). 

How is experimental neurosis related to PTSD? What is the “general rule” that describes the circumstances in which trauma symptoms are more easily induced?

Some of the symptoms that the animals show is similar to symptoms of PTSD when they are subjected to noncontingent, unpredictable aversive stimulations.

Traumatic symptoms are easily induced in animals when the aversive stimulus is hodelivered in an environment that the animal sees as safe or a type of appetitive event.  

 

Experimental Neurosis and PTSD

Symptoms of animals subjected to unpredictable aversive stimulations are similar to those of PTSD.

Kohlenberg's Treatment for Multiple Personalities

Manipulating reinforcers for displaying an alter personality to influence the time this personality is displayed.