Ch. 18 - Positive Punishment Procedures and the Ethics of Punishment

Question 1

What are aversive activities?

Answer 1

Low-probability behaviours that the person typically would not choose to engage in.

Question 2

What is the application of aversive activities based on?

Answer 2

The Premack principle.

Question 3

How does the Premack principle explain the application of aversive activities?

Answer 3

When the requirement to engage in a low-probability behaviour (the aversive activity) is made contingent on the occurrence of a high-probability behaviour (the problem behaviour), the high-probability behaviour will decrease in the future.

Question 4

What is often necessary when a subject tries to escape from aversive activities?

Answer 4

Physical guidance.

Question 5

What is overcorrection?

Answer 5

A procedure developed to decrease aggressive and disruptive behaviours exhibited by people with intellectual disabilities. It involves the client engaging in an effortful behaviour for an extended period.

Question 6

What are the two types of overcorrection?

Answer 6

Positive practice and restitution.

Question 7

What is positive practice?

Answer 7

A form of overcorrection that involves the client engaging in correct forms of relevant behaviour.

Question 8

What is restitution?

Answer 8

A form of overcorrection that involves the client correcting the environmental effects of the problem behaviour and restoring the environment to a condition better than that which existed before the problem behaviour.

Question 9

What is contingent exercise?

Answer 9

A positive punishment procedure involving the application of aversive activities; the client is made to engage in a form of physical exercise that is not related to the problem behaviour.

Question 10

How does contingent exercise differ from overcorrection?

Answer 10

The activity is not related to the problem behaviour in contingent exercises.

Question 11

What is guided compliance?

Answer 11

Where the person is physically guided through the requested activity.

Question 12

When is guided compliance withdrawn?

Answer 12

If the person begins to comply midway through the guidance.

Question 13

When is guided compliance used?

Answer 13

If the physical guidance acts as a positive punishment and negatively reinforces compliance.

Question 14

What is physical restraint?

Answer 14

The change agent holds mobile the part of the client’s body that is involved in the behaviour.

Question 15

What is response blocking?

Answer 15

A variation of physical restraint in which the change agent prevents the occurrence of the problem behaviour entirely.

Question 16

What are 4 cautions of the application of aversive activities?

Answer 16

They should only be used when the change agent can provide physical guidance, the change agent must anticipate that the client may resist, the change agent must be certain that the guidance is not reinforcing the client, and the change agent must be certain that the procedure will bring no harm.

Question 17

What is face-screening?

Answer 17

When a cloth or the change agent’s hand is used to cover the subject’s face, contingent on the occurrence of the problem behaviour.

Question 18

What are 6 considerations when using positive punishment?

Answer 18

Use functional interventions first, implement differential reinforcement alongside punishment, consider the function of the problem behaviour, choose the aversive stimulus with care, collect data to make treatment decisions, and address the ethical considerations.

Question 19

What is another term for punishment?

Answer 19

Restrictive procedures.

Question 20

What are 8 ethical considerations of punishment?

Answer 20

Informed consent, alternative treatments, recipient safety, problem severity, implementation guidelines, training and supervision, peer review, and accountability in order to prevent misuse/overuse.

Question 21

How is accountability held?

Answer 21

Data must be frequently reviewed and the change agent should experience the aversive stimulus themselves.