Chapter 6 - Punishment Flashcards
What are the three parts to punishment?
- A particular behavior occurs
- A consequence immediately follows the behavior
- As a result, the behavior is less likely to occur again in the future
Punisher
A consequence that makes a particular behavior less likely to occur in the future
How is a punisher defined?
Its effect on the behavior it follows
A stimulus or event is
A punisher when it decreases the frequency of the behavior it follows
How can you conclude if a particular consequence is a punishment
Only if a behavior decreases in the future
Positive punishment is defined as
- The occurrence of a behavior
- Followed by the presentation of an aversive stimulus
- The behavior is less likely to occur in the future
Negative punishment is defined as
- The occurrence of a behavior
- Followed by the removal of a reinforcing stimulus
- The behavior is less likely to occur in the future
Premack Principle
States that when a person is made to engage in a low-probability behavior contingent on a high-probability behavior, the high-probability behavior will decrease in frequency
Time-out from positive reinforcement and response cost
Both involve the loss of a reinforcing stimulus or activity after the occurrence of a problem behavior
Negative Punishment
removing or withdrawing a postie reinforcer after the behavior; the reinforcer that is removed is negative punishment is one the individual had already acquired and is not necessarily the same reinforcer that was maintaining the behavior
Unconditioned Punishers
Painful stimuli or extreme levels of stimulation have biological importance
Conditioned Punishers
Stimuli or events that function as punishers only after being paired with unconditioned punishers or other existing conditioned punishers
Generalized Conditioned Punishers
It has been paired with a variety of other unconditioned and conditioned punishers over the course of a person’s life
Immediacy
When a punishing stimulus immediately follows a behavior, or when the loss of a reinforcer occurs immediately after the behavior, the behavior is more likely to be weakened
Contingency
The punishing stimulus should occur every time the behavior occurs
Motivating Operations
EO’s and AO’s not only effect reinforcers but they influence punishers as well
Factors that influence punishment
- Immediacy
- Contingency
- Motivating Operations
- Individual differences and magnitude
Individual differences
Some events may be established as conditioned punishers for some people and not for others because people have different experiences or conditioning histories.
Magnitude
In general, a stimulus that is more intense on average is more likely to function as a punisher, this also varies from person to person
What is punishment associated with?
A number of ethical issues and issues of acceptability
Emotional Reactions to punishment
Behavioral research with nonhuman subjects has demonstrated that aggressive behavior and other emotional responses may occur when painful stimuli are presented as punishers
Escape and Avoidance
Aversive stimulus is used in punishment procedure, an opportunity for escape and avoidance behavior is created
Punishment and Modeling
People who observe someone making frequent use of punishment may themselves be more likely to use punishment when they are in similar situations
Ethical Issues
Some argue that the use of punishment cannot be justified. Others argue that the use of punishment may be justified if the behavior is harmful or serious enough, and therefore, the potential benefits to the individual are great
What do certified behavior analysts must state?
- Reinforcement should be used before punishment is considered
- If punishment is necessary it should be used in conjunction with reinforcement for alternative behavior
