Ch. 6 Punishment

Punishment

• Definition

  • Weakens or decreases operant behavior.

  • A punishment consequence occurs immediately after the behavior.

  • The behavior is less likely to occur in the future.

• Nature of Punishment

  • Also referred to as an aversive stimulus.

  • Aversive stimuli can be unfavorable or not unpleasant at all.

  • True punishment entails stopping a behavior in the present moment, affecting future likelihood of that behavior.

Misconceptions

• Common belief: Punishment is always negative, like a jail sentence.

• According to behavior analysis, punishment is applied to behavior, not the individual.

Types of Punishment

Positive Punishment

• An aversive stimulus is presented after behavior occurs.

• Behavior is less likely to occur in the future

• Example: Cat scratches furniture, owner squirts water.

Negative Punishment

• A favorable stimulus is removed following the behavior.

• Behavior is less likely to occur in the future

• Example: Teen is grounded, losing car keys for being late.

Practice Scenarios: Understanding Antecedents, Behaviors, & Consequences

Scenario 1

• Context: Jenny texting while driving ticketed.

• Antecedent: Police officer sees the phone.

• Behavior: Jenny texting while driving.

• Consequence: Receives a ticket.

• Type: Positive Punishment.

Scenario 2

• Context: Devon speeds through a red light and is in an accident.

• Antecedent: Noticing the red light.

• Behavior: Devon speeds up.

• Consequence: Car is wrecked.

• Type: Positive Punishment.

Scenario 3

• Context: Ms. Miller removes tokens when Steven doesn’t respond.

• Antecedent: Ms. Miller asks for compliance.

• Behavior: Steven does not respond.

• Consequence: Tokens removed.

• Type: Negative Punishment.

Scenario 4

• Context: Michael spat at others; now has to spit in the sink.

• Antecedent: Michael's spitting behavior.

• Behavior: Spitting at others.

• Consequence: Must spit in sink 50 times.

• Type: Positive Punishment.

Scenario 5

• Context: Bobby misbehaves during art class.

• Antecedent: Instruction to finger paint.

• Behavior: Throws paint and screams.

• Consequence: Cleaning up paint.

• Type: Positive Punishment.

The Premack Principle

• High probability behavior decreased by making someone do a low probability behavior.

• Example: Joe distracted classmates and was made to do pushups.

Unconditioned and Conditioned Punishers

Unconditioned Punishers

• Innate and have survival value.

  • natural

  • such as avoiding painful/extreme stimuli

• Examples: Touching a hot stove, looking into the sun.

Conditioned Punishers

• Stimuli paired with existing punishers.

• Example: The word "no" as a generalized conditioned punisher or speeding ticket

Reinforcement vs. Punishment

Factors Influencing Punishment

• Immediacy: Immediate consequences increase effectiveness.

  • Example: a child throws a toy and his mom reprimands him the next day. The child might not remember what he did and it will have less of an effect.

• Contingency: Punisher must occur every time behavior occurs.

  • Example: Ava gets a Starbucks coffee every day. The coffee does not upset her stomach and she feels relaxed drinking it. One day, after the same coffee, her stomach began to hurt. However, the pain went away after one hour. Ava went back the next day.

• Motivating Operations: Context affects how punishers operate.

• Individual Differences: Life experiences shape perception of punishers.

• Magnitude: Greater punishments have more significant effects.

Types of Punishment

Intrinsic Punishment

• Inherent aspect of behavior being punished(e.g., over-exercising).

• activity itself is punishing

Extrinsic Punishment

• not inherent aspect of behavior being punished (e.g., social disapproval).

• Simply follows the behavior

  • example: “ew picking your nose is gross”

Primary or Unconditioned Punisher

• Events that are innately punishing.

Problems with the Use of Punishment

• Learning what NOT to do

  • no direct strengtheningng of the appropriate behavior

    • may even result in a general suppression of behavior

• can elicit a strong emotional response

  • interferes with subsequent attempts to teach appropriate behaviors

• punishing one behavior may result in a generalized suppression of other behaviors

• might teach avoidance of the person who delivered the punishment

• can elicit an aggressive reaction

  • use of punishment might be imitated

• punishment through modeling might teach the person that punishment is an appropriate way to control behavior

• use of punishment is often strongly reinforced

• ethics

Side Benefits of Punishment

• Can sometimes increase social behavior and improve mood.

• Increases attention to the environment.

Ethical Considerations

• Engage reinforcement before punishment.

• Should be used with reinforcement for alternate behaviors.

Discriminated/Generalized Punisher

• Discriminated punishment occurs in specific conditions only.

  • speeding on the freeway but driving the speed limit where you’ve been given tickets before

• Generalized punisher applies across contexts.

  • being told “no”

Examples of Positive Punishment

• Reprimands: Effective when combined with non-verbal cues.

  • most common

  • more effective with nonverbal component (eye contact when in close proximity)

• Response Blocking: Preventing engagement in problematic behavior. (e.g. self-injurious behavior)

• Contingent Exercise: Requiring physical activity unrelated to problem.

• Overcorrection: Engaging in corrective behavior.

• Contingent Electric Stimulation: Brief electrical stimulus for damaging behavior.

Negative Punishment Examples

• Time-Out: Removing individual from a positive reinforcer.

• Response Cost: Deducting from available reinforcers.

Guidelines for Punishment

• Choose effective and appropriate punishers.

  • punisher assessment

  • use punishers with the right magnitude

  • change the punishers

• Give the punisher as soon as the behavior begins

  • Punish every instance of the behavior at first and then fade

  • Use them with systems that reinforce appropriate behavior

  • Be alert to escape and avoidance