8 Aversive Control Psych 221 UMBC

A consequence can be

positive or negative

Positive

introduction of stimuli into an enviornment

Negative

removal of a stimuli into an environment

Reinforcement

the process or procedure by which a consequent
stimulus increases operant behavior above its baseline level.

Punishment

The process or procedure whereby a consequent
stimulus decreases operant behavior below its baseline level

Positive and negative do not

equal good or bad

The contingency Matrix

this represents aversive control

Aversive Stimuli

those events that organisms evade, avoid, or escape

Much of our behavior is under aversive

control by the environment around us

Negative Reinforcement

A consequent prevention or
reduction of a stimulus change, the effect of which is to increase
operant behavior above its no-reinforcer baseline level.

Escape

when an aversive stimulus is present and a response terminates that stimulus

Avoidance 

When a response prevents an aversive stimulus from appearing

with avoidance the aversive stimulus

is never present

We punish behavior

not people

We always need to state the response

explicitly. That is, state
what was punished.

We do not label
stimuli as punishers

simply by their
form

We define punishers functionally.

That is, by their effect on behavior.

To determine whether we have a reinforcer or a punisher we must

look to the (subsequent) effect on future behavior.

Extinction

a gradual process

Extinction reduces behavior because

reinforcers are withheld

Punishment

is usually a rapid process

Punishment reduces behavior because punishers are presented

or reinforcers are withdrawn contingent on behavior.