Chapter 9 Flashcards
Techniques to reduce the strength
of the behaviour (thus far)
Extinction
* Differential reinforcement of the other (DRO)
* Differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviours (DRI)
Punishment
NOT vengeance or retribution
* NOT to inflict harm or injury
* Simply a procedure applied to reduce the strength of the behaviour
Types of punishment
Positive Punishment
* Something is APPLIED
* Negative Punishment
* Something is REMOVED
- Aversive stimuli do not always equate to being a punisher
- They may increase the strength of the response instead (not a punisher)
type of punishment, conditioned and unconditioned
Unconditioned punisher (primary punisher: SR-
* Intrinsically punishing, don’t need the pairing with another punisher
* Intense light, noise, physical attacks
Conditioned punisher (secondary punisher: Sr-
Must be associated with an established punisher
* Threats, fines, reprimands, failing grades, disapproving looks, removal
of privileges
Positive
Punishment
The presentation of a stimulus immediately after a
response
* Decreases the strength of that response
* Less likely to be performed again under those
conditions
- Ethical Considerations (especially for SR-
- Serious danger or injury requires an immediate
response - Other techniques are not available
- Other techniques are not effective (used as a last
resort) - Serious consequences for the individual or others
if not suppressed
Discussion:
Ethics of
SIBIS in ASD
Mild electric shock for self-injurious behaviours
* Self-injurious behaviour inhibiting system (SIBIS) – remote
control
* Non-harmful?
* Positive reinforcement of incompatible responses wasn’t as
effective?
* Use single case designs, and not randomized control groups
* Can’t compare treatment efficacy across groups
* Short term change versus permanent change?
* Moving away from punishment based →more toward positivelyoriented approaches
- Newer approach: Functional Analysis
Nocturnal Enuresis
involuntary urination that happens at night while sleeping, after the age when a person should be able to control his or her bladder. (Involuntary urination that happens during the day is known as diurnal enuresis.) Most of us think of bedwetting as something that happens with little kids.
Spanking
Hitting a child on the bottom with an
open hand
* No tissue damage (injury)
* For the purposes of correction or control
of behaviour
* Associated with poor parent/child
relationships, antisocial behaviours,
aggressiveness, and delinquency
(Gershoff, 2002, 2008)
* Regardless of culture or other parenting
styles, spanking was linked to future
behaviour problems
Physical Discipline Consequences
Canadian Psychological Association Policy Statement:
2004 - 1 Physical Punishment of Children and Youth
“Physical punishment has been consistently demonstrated to be an ineffective and potentially harmful method of
managing children’s behaviour. It places children at risk of physical injury and may interfere with psychological
adjustment. To reduce the prevalence of physical punishment of children and youth, public awareness campaigns must
deliver a clear message that physical punishment may place children at risk of physical and psychological harm. Second
public education strategies that increase Canadians’ knowledge of child development should be supported. Third,
evidence-based programs for developing parenting skills should be supported.”
Negative Punishment
Maddys response cost:
Penalty or fine for performing an
undesirable behaviour
* Remove/withdraw a reward based on
the performance of a behaviour
* Have to discover the reward first
and then remove it
* Suppresses a behaviour
Negative
Punishment/Positive
Reinforcement
Must to both at the same time:
* Punish for Undesired Behaviors
* Positively Reinforce Desired Behaviors
= Enhances efficacy
Extinction vs
Negative
Punishment
Extinction = reinforcer
maintaining the response is
withheld until the response
occurs at desired level
(usually 0) – slow decrease
* Negative Punishment =
removal of a reinforcer
OTHER THAN the one
maintaining the response –
immediate decrease
* Combine both!!
*KEY: The privilege lost MUST exert greater control in decreasing the
response than the reinforcer maintaining the response.
r-s/ (punishment) vs r/sz
Active Ignoring (Extinction)
When trying to get your attention/having a temper tantrum:
* Stay silent and turn your eyes away
* Keep facial expression neutral (“robot face”)
* Do not communicate anything with your body language/non-verbal language
* Leave the area of the child, you can go to the other side of the room
* Be ready to praise when they switch their behavior to something appropriate (and be ready to
switch back!)
*Note: When you actively ignore a child, their behavior will most likely get worse before it gets better. At first,
children may escalate their behavior they’ve ever done in the past to get your attention because they know that
at one time, they got a response from you
Effective
Time Outs
(Negative
Punishments)
Give 1 warning before time out
* Immediate response to high-risk behavior (e.g., hitting)
* 1 minute per year of age
* Set timer
* Neutral tone of voice and body language when putting them in time out
* Brief description (1 sentence max) of why they’re in time out
* Calmly return them with no reaction, if they get up from the spot
* You can make the time out wherever they are, you don’t have to make it a
spot (but still remove context trigger SD)
* Immediately do a time-in afterwards and praise a positive behavior so there is a
reconnections
* Once time-out is over (set amount of time or behaviours), move on and let
them redeem themselves
* Use your active ignoring techniques while they are in time out
*Note: sometimes it’s easier and just as effective to put an object (toy) in time out
instead of the child.
Positive Play
Time
(non-contingent
time)
