Punishment Flashcards
What is punishment?
Punishment is the weakening of a behaviour through either the:
1. application of an aversive stimulus (positive punishment) or
2. removal of an appetitive stimulus (negative punishment).
• Bear in mind that the ‘to-be-punished’ behaviour is enjoyable to the individual doing the misdemeanour and they won’t want to stop
• And what we have seen from extinction is that we cannot unlearn a behaviour – can only hope to suppress or inhibit it; or train individual to omit it.
What is positive punishment?
• Consists of the presentation of an aversive event following a response.
• This leads to a decrease in the future strength of that response.
What is negative punishment?
• Consists of the removal of an appetitive event following a response.
• This then leads to a decrease in the future strength of that response.
What are the 2 types of negative punishment?
- Time-out
– Loss of access to positive reinforcers following problem behaviour (e.g., send child to room) - Response cost - aka Omission Training
– Removal of reinforcer for inappropriate behaviour
– The stimulus that is removed must decrease the frequency of the operant behaviour (by definition –> punisher!)
What is time-out?
•The loss of access to positive reinforcers for a brief period of time following the occurrence of a problem behaviour.
•It is likely to be ineffective:
―if the time-out setting is actually more reinforcing
―time-outs that are too long will interfere with the development of more appropriate behaviours
What is response cost?
• The removal of a valued reinforcer following the occurrence of a problem behaviour.
• Aim: offender learns to omit the problematic behaviour
• It is easy to adjust the punishment to suit the ‘size’ of the problem behaviour.
• You must clearly identify a reinforcer that, if removed, will have an impact on targeted behaviour
Negative punishment vs extinction
Does the behaviour grow weaker because performing it: no longer leads to something? …. then extinction!
Or
Leads to the removal of something that you would otherwise possess? … then negative punishment!
Similarities:
§ Both involve removal of reinforcers
§ Both result in decreasing strength of behaviour
Differences:
§ Extinction– behaviour that previously produced the reinforcer no longer does and behaviour stops
§ Negative punishment – performing the behaviour results in loss of reinforcer that is already possessed
What are intrinsic and extrinsic punishments?
• Intrinsic punishment – The behaviour being performed is inherently punishing
• Extrinsic punishment – The event that follows the behaviour is punishing
What are primary and secondary punishers?
Primary punishers – Events that are inherently / innately punishing
Secondary (conditioned) punishers– an event that has become punishing because it has in the past been associated with some other punisher.
What are the 7 problems with the use of punishment?
- Punishment of an inappropriate behaviour does not directly strengthen the occurrence of appropriate behaviour ― It may even result in a general suppression of behaviour
- The person delivering the punishment could become a Discriminative Stimulus - SD- for punishment. ― The unwanted behaviour is suppressed only when that person is present
- Punishment might simply teach the individual to avoid the person who delivered the punishment, or choose a different route
- Punishment is likely to elicit a strong emotional response. • This might interfere with any subsequent attempts to teach appropriate behaviours
- Punishment can sometimes elicit an aggressive reaction.― The aggression may be directed at the punisher or another target
- The use of punishment might teach the person that punishment is an acceptable means of controlling behaviour
- The use of punishment is often strongly reinforced― The punisher may be enticed to punish more often because they like the results
What are 3 conditions to make sure punishment is effective?
- Punishment should be immediate rather than delayed― This aids the association between the punishment and the unwanted behaviour. If not could not know what are being punished for
- Punishment should be intense enough from the outset to suppress the target behaviour― This can help avoid the use of very intense, abusive punishment.
- Punishment should consistently follow each occurrence of the unwanted behaviour
What is an empty threat?
Punishment intensity too low
Responding to a behaviour with a mild punishment often has little effect
To modify future occurrences of the behaviour a more intense punishment is needed than would have been necessary at the outset
What are 3 other factors to keep in mind about punishment?
- Negative punishment is generally preferable to positive punishment.― This is less likely to produce many of the harmful side effects of punishment.
- Punishment is more effective when accompanied by an explanation.― Thus, it easier to avoid punishment in the future.
- Punishment of inappropriate behaviour should be combined with positive reinforcement for appropriate behaviour.
What is the conditioned suppression account of punishment?
• Punishment does not directly weaken a behaviour, but instead produces an emotional response that interferes with the occurrence of the behaviour.
• i.e. it simply replaces the punished behaviour with an emotional response, or another behaviour, that interferes with being able to produce it.
Result: Mild punishment initially reduced the number of responses; but the suppression was only temporary
What is the avoidance account of punishment?
• Punishment actually involves avoidance learning in which the avoidance response consists of any behaviour other than the behaviour being punished― Become a better liar, criminal, learn where the speed cameras are.
• Another example of the permanency of original learning
