Chapter 10

Question 1

Punisher

Answer 1

A contingent consequence that decreases the future probability of behavior below its pre-punishment level.

Question 2

Reinforcement

Answer 2

The process or procedure whereby a reinforcer increases operant behavior

Question 3

Punishment

Answer 3

The process or procedure whereby a punisher decreases the future probability of an operant response.

Question 4

Positive reinforcer

Answer 4

Increases the future probability of behavior when a stimulus is presented

Question 5

Positive punisher

Answer 5

Decreases the future probability of behavior when a stimulus is presented

Question 6

Negative reinforcer

Answer 6

Increases the behavior when a stimulus is removed, reduced or prevented

Question 7

Negative punisher

Answer 7

Decreases the behavior when a stimulus is removed, reduced or prevented

Question 8

Positive punishment

Answer 8

The contingent presentation of a consequence that decreases the future probability of the behavior below its no-punishment level

Question 9

Negative punishment

Answer 9

Contingent removal, reduction, or prevention of a reinforcer; the effect of which decreases the future probability of the behavior below it’s no-punishment level.

Question 10

Behavior analysts define a _______ as a contingent consequence that decreases the probability of behavior below its pre-punishment level.

Answer 10

Punishment

Question 11

Punishers are contingent consequences, so they happen _______ (before/after) behavior.

Answer 11

After

Question 12

The effect of a reinforcer is that it _______ the future probability of behavior, whereas the effect of a punisher is that it _______ the future probability of behavior.

Answer 12

Increases
Decreases

Question 13

The process or procedure whereby a punisher decreases the future probability of an operant response is called _______.

Answer 13

Punishment

Question 14

When a car thief is convicted and put in prison, they are unable to steal cars for the duration of their sentence. Based on this information alone, can we classify the prison sentence as a punisher?

Answer 14

No

Question 15

Positive reinforcers ______ the future probability of behavior, and negative reinforcers _____ the future probability of behavior.

Answer 15

Increase
Decrease

Question 16

Positive punishers _______ the future probability of behavior, and negative punishers _______ the future probability of behavior.

Answer 16

Decrease
Increase

Question 17

When a positive punisher is delivered, a stimulus is _______. When a _______ punisher occurs, a stimulus is removed, reduced, or prevented.

Answer 17

Introduced
Negative

Question 18

Six characteristics of effective punishment interventions

Answer 18

1) Focus on reinforcement first
2) Combine punishment with extinction and/or differential reinforcement
3) Deliver punishers immediately
4) Deliver punishment contingently
5) Punish every time
6) Use a punisher in the Goldilocks zone

Question 19

Punishment is used in applied (clinical) settings when the behavior is _______________ to oneself or others.

Answer 19

Dangerous

Question 20

When designing an effective intervention that will include punishment, it is important to identify the ___________________ that maintains the problem behavior.

Answer 20

Reinforcer

Question 21

When the reinforcer maintaining problem behavior has been identified, the behavior analyst designing the punishment-based intervention will explore procedures that can _______________ the efficacy of those reinforcers. If the reinforcer can be weakened, the punisher will be more effective.

Answer 21

Weaken

Question 22

An effective punishment-based intervention will combine punishment with _______________________ or ________________ ____________________.

Answer 22

Extinction
Differential reinforcement

Question 23

Punishers are more effective when delivered ______________________ after the problem behavior occurs.

Answer 23

Immediately

Question 24

If it is impossible to deliver the punisher immediately, then the next best practice is to clarify the ________________ (IF→THEN) relation between the past behavior and the present punisher.

Answer 24

Contingent

Question 25

Punishers are effective only when they are delivered __________________ on the problem behavior. Administering noncontingent punishers will not work.

Answer 25

Contingent

Question 26

In the Oliver et al. (1974) study (see Figure 10.6), noncontingent punishment actually ___________________ the future probability of aggressive behavior.

Answer 26

Increased

Question 27

Punishing a problem behavior every once in a while is not an effective way to use punishment. Instead, punishers should follow _________ instance of problem behavior.

Answer 27

Every

Question 28

Arranging the least-restrictive punishment contingency means finding a punisher in the Goldilocks zone. That is, the punisher should not be too ______________, nor should it be so benign that it does not decrease problem behavior.

Answer 28

Eversive

Question 29

Primary punisher

Answer 29

a contingent consequence that functions as a punisher because, in the evolutionary past of the species, this consequence decreased the chances of survival

Question 30

Conditioned punisher

Answer 30

a contingent consequence that signals a delay reduction to a backup punisher

Question 31

Time-out from positive reinforcement

Answer 31

a signaled response-contingent suspension of a positive-reinforcement contingency, the effect of which decreases the future probability of problem behavior

Question 32

Four guidelines for effectively using time-out from positive reinforcement

Answer 32

1) Provide no more than one verbal warning 2) Significantly reduce access to reinforcers 3) End after no more than 5 minutes, even if the child is not sitting quietly 4) _Every_ instance of the problem behavior produces a timeout

Question 33

Response-cost punishers

Answer 33

negative punishers that involve the removal or reduction of a reinforcer

Question 34

A _________________ punisher is a contingent consequence that functions as a punisher because, in the evolutionary past of the species, this consequence decreased the chances of survival.

Answer 34

Primary

Question 35

________________ punishers signal a delay reduction to a backup punisher.

Answer 35

Conditioned

Question 36

A conditioned punisher will be more effective in decreasing problem behavior when (1) the backup punisher (US) is a phylogenetically important event, (2) the conditioned punisher (CS) is highly salient, (3) the conditioned punisher signals a large ___________ _____________ to the US, and (4) the conditioned punisher is not redundant with another stimulus that already signals the US is coming.

Answer 36

Delay reduction

Question 37

A time-out from ________________ __________________ is a signaled response-contingent suspension of a positive-reinforcement contingency, the effect of which is to decrease the future probability of problem behavior.

Answer 37

Positive reinforcement

Question 38

The data suggest one should never provide more than _________ verbal warning(s) before administering a time-out from positive reinforcement.

Answer 38

One

Question 39

Time-out from positive reinforcement will not reduce problem behavior if, during the time-out, the availability of ___________________ is not reduced.

Answer 39

Reinforcement

Question 40

In applied settings, behavior analysts refer to negative punishers as _________________ ____________ punishers. These involve a response-contingent reduction or removal of a stimulus that functions as a positive reinforcer; the effect of which is to decrease the future probability of problem behavior.

Answer 40

Response cost

Question 41

When a stimulus signals that a behavior is very likely to be punished, the frequency of that behavior ___________________.

Answer 41

Decreases

Question 42

When humans observe a stimulus that suggests the dominant god(s) of their culture is(are) watching, anti-social behavior ___________________.

Answer 42

Decreases

Question 43

Using punishment to reduce problem behavior is itself an operant behavior. That is, this behavior is ____________________ when the problem behavior decreases.

Answer 43

Reinforced

Question 44

In cooperation/competition games, humans increasingly prefer the version of the game that allows them to use _____________________. The reason why is that they experience the benefits of this behavior-influencing consequence.

Answer 44

Punishment