Applying Punishment Flashcards
Extinction vs punishment
Extinction = THE reinforcer that was supporting the behaviour is no longer given
Negative punishment = A reinforcer is removed or withdrawn
Two types of negative punishment
Time-out: person is removed from access to reinforcers
Response cost: reinforcer taken away from person
E.g. of extinction vs negative punishment when child throws a tantrum to draw his parents attention
Extinction: parents now ignore the tantrum every time it occurs
Negative punishment: child needs to sit on his “naughty spot” after tantrum (time out)
Definition of time out from positive reinforcement
Loss of access to positive reinforcers following an undesirable behaviour
Types of time out (2)
- Nonexclusionary time-out: after an undesirable behaviour, person remains in the same room or location as the time-in, but is denied access to reinforcers
- Exclusionary time-out: following undesirable behaviour, person is moved to different part of the room and is denied access to reinforcers or moved to different room
What is contingent observation
Nonexclusionary time-out where person is denied access to reinforcers, and must observe others engaging in activities
What is isolation time-out
Form of exclusionary time-out where person is removed from the environment in which reinforcers are available. to a separate setting in which they are alone
Subtype of nonexclusionary and exclusionary time outs
Non = contingent observation
Excl = isolation time out
Issues with time outs
- Need to encourage a desirable behaviour in its place
- Does not work with negative reinforcement or automatic reinforcement
- Enough space?
- Safety?
- Duration of time-out period (shortest that is effective)
- Prevent escape
What is contingent delay? Aka
Aka release contingency
Time out does not end if behaviour has not ceased during the time out period (prevents escape = neg reinforcement)
Definition of response cost
Removal of a reinforcer following an undesirable behaviour
E.g. of response cost
Paying a parking ticket
Response cost issues
- Reinforcer?
- Withdraw reinforcer immediately or delay?
- Avoidance, aggression
- Can reinforcer be physically taken away
What is positive punishment
Applying aversive activities or applying aversive stimuli
What is applying aversive activities
Involves low-probability beh that person does not enjoy doing
Punisher if follows behaviour, decreases beh
Kinds of aversive activities (4)
- Overcorrection: person ahs to perform effortful, low-probability behaviours contingent on problem beh
- Contingent exercise: after problem beh, person must perform exercise
- Guided compliance: after problem beh, person is physically guided to complete requested beh
- Physical restraint: part of body that performed problem beh is restrained
Types of overcorrection (aversive activity)
- Positive practice: person must correctly perform an opposite or appropriate behaviour repeatedly
- Negative practice: person must perform undesirable behaviour repeatedly
- Restitution: person must correct the effects of the problem behaviour to restore environment to better condition
Types of physical restraint (aversive activity)
- Response blocking: beh analyst physically prevents the problem beh
- Response interruption/redirection: after response is blocked, person is prompted to engage in a competing response using least-to-most hierarchy
What is applying aversive stimulation
Presenting stimuli that are aversive or unpleasant to a person
Punisher if follows a beh, decreases beh
Kinds of aversive stimulation (2)
- Reprimands: harsh, verbal criticisms of behaviour
- Physically aversive stimuli: causes physical pain, discomfort, or unpleasant sensations (e.g. ice cube, ammonia)
Positive punishment issues
- Use functional interventions first
- Apply differential reinforcement with punishment (DRO, DRA)
- Conduct functional assessment
- Select most effective punisher
- Ethical implications
Order of trying functional interventions before positive punishment ***
- Antecedent control procedures/positive reinforcement/differential reinforcement
- Negative reinforcement
- Extinction
- Negative punishment
- Positive punishment (last resort)
The ethics of punishment
- Informed consent
- Alternative treatments attempted?
- Safety
- Problem severity (harm themselves?)
- Training and supervision
- Peer review
