Punishment

• punishments   * intrinsic - the behavior itself (pushups, starting a fight)   * extrinsic - the punishment is applied (someone makes fun of you)   * primary - innately punishing. biological (hunger, extreme temps)   * secondary - learned punishment (feeling bad when you get a bad grade)   * generalized - associated with multiple punishments (silent treatment)
• problems with punishments   * punishment of maladaptive behavior doesn’t directly strengthen occurrence of adaptive behavior     * have to differentially reinforce adaptive behavior   * punishing one behavior can result in generalized suppression of other behaviors   * the person delivering the punishment may become the discriminative stimulus for punishment     * may only suppress unwanted behavior only when person is present   * punishment may teach the person to avoid the person who delivered the punishment   * punishment is likely to elicit strong emotional response (aggression)   * punishment through modeling could teach person that punishment is acceptable means of controlling behavior (corporal punishment)   * punishment often has immediate effect stopping unwanted behavior     * use of punishment is strongly reinforced
• benefits and effective use of punishment   * benefits     * can lead to increase in social behavior     * sometimes results in mood improvement       * removes guilt     * can increase attention to environment - being more careful in order to avoid punishment   * effective use     * must be immediate      * must be consistent     * should be intense enough that it works       * proportional response     * negative punishment is generally preferable to positive punishment     * should be accompanied by explanation     * should be combined w positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior   * noncontingent punishment: punishment not tied to a behavior. uncontrollable / unpredictable     * causes learned helplessness, anxiety, depression       * cure for learned helplessness - forced to escape aversive stimulus prior exposure       * prevention - give people experience with minor adversities in order to build up resilience against more serious difficulties

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