Topic 5: Punishment

Question 1

Punishment

Answer 1

-Occurrence of a behavior is followed by an immediate consequence that results in the weakening of the behavior
-Less likely to engage in the behavior again in the future when given the opportunity

Question 2

Positive punishment

Answer 2

-Adding something aversive after a behavior occurs decreases likelihood of that behavior under the same conditions in the future
-Results in the suppression or decrease of a response

Question 3

Negative punishment

Answer 3

-Removing something appetitive (positive) after a behavior occurs decreases likelihood of that behavior under the same conditions in the future
-Results in the suppression or decrease of a response

Question 4

Punisher

Answer 4

Any event or stimulus that follows a operant response and decreases its future probability

Question 5

Positive punisher

Answer 5

Any event or stimulus that, when presented as a consequence of a behavior, decreases the future probability of that behavior

Question 6

Negative punisher

Answer 6

Any event or stimulus that, when removed as a consequence of a behavior, decreases the future probability of that behavior

Question 7

Premack principle for reinforcement

Answer 7

-High probability behavior reinforces low probability behavior
-If the low probability behavior must be completed in order to get to perform the high probability behavior, then the low probability behavior will be more likely to occur as time goes on
-Low probability does not reinforce high probability

Question 8

premack principle for punishment

Answer 8

-Low probability behavior punishes high probability behavior
-If the low probability behavior must be completed if the high probability has occurred, then the high probability behavior will be less likely to occur
-High probability does not punish low probability

Question 9

Examples of premack

Answer 9

1) Reinforcement: Piano (low probability) and then coffee (high prob.) = doing more piano
2) Punishment: Coffee (high prob) and then piano (low prob) = drinking less coffee

Question 10

Contingency

Answer 10

-The degree of correlation between a behavior and its consequence
-If the behavior occurs, the punisher always follows
-The punisher only occurs after the behavior

Question 11

High contingency

Answer 11

-Behavior and punisher have a predictive association
-Strong learning

Question 12

Low contingency

Answer 12

-Weak association between behavior and punisher
-Weak/slow learning

Question 13

Contiguity

Answer 13

-Nearness of events in time (temporal contiguity) or space (spatial contiguity)
-If the behavior occurs, the punisher should be delivered immediately and in the same location
-Longer the delay or larger the distance between the behavior and the punisher (less contiguity), the slower the learning occurs

Question 14

Intensity

Answer 14

-Intensity or severity of a punisher
-More intense punishers = stronger learning

Question 15

Risks of not using intense punishers

Answer 15

-Behavior is NOT suppressed
-more instances of punishment are required
-Greater intensities end up being required

Question 16

Establishing operations

Answer 16

-Make a punisher more effective
-Eg) if you’re deprived of dessert when you are really hungry

Question 17

Abolishing operations

Answer 17

-Make a punisher less effective
-Eg) If you’re deprived of dessert when you have already had something sweet

Question 18

Positive punishment practices

Answer 18

1) Overcorrection
2) Contingent exercise
3) Guided compliance
4) Physical restraint

Question 19

1) Overcorrection

Answer 19

-Contingent on the problem behavior, individual has to engage in effortful behavior related to the problem behavior
1) positive practice
2) Restitution

Question 20

1) positive practice

Answer 20

-Must do the correct form of a behavior for a period of time
eg) Coloring on walls–Force them to color in their coloring book for an extended period of time

Question 21

2) Restitution

Answer 21

-Must fix the environment disrupted by the problem behavior
ex) Coloring on walls–they have to clean the crayon off the walls they colored on and the ones they did not color on (OVERcorrection)

Question 22

2) Contingent exercise

Answer 22

-Contingent on the problem behavior, the individual engages in some effortful behavior for a specific period of time
-The effortful behavior is unrelated to the problem behavior
ex) attitude to gym teacher–running laps for rest of class

Question 23

3) Guided compliance

Answer 23

-Contingent on the problem behavior that occurs following a request, the individual is physically guided to comply with the request
-Positively pushes non-compliance and negatively reinforces compliance
eg) Child refuses to clean room upon being asked–take their hand and guide them to cleaning room

Question 24

4) Physical restraint

Answer 24

-Contingent on the problem behavior, the body part involved in the behavior is held immobile for a specified period of time
-Response blocking

Question 25

Response blocking

Answer 25

-Physically stopping a behavior from being completed -Can prevent problems generated by the behavior -May prevent behavior from being reinforces ex) Sibling hitting other sibling to make them cry--restraining their hand, this also stops sibling from crying and therefore no reinforcement for kid to hit

Question 26

Negative punishment practices

Answer 26

1) time out 2) response cost

Question 27

1) Time out

Answer 27

-"time-out" from positive reinforcement -Behavior results in loss of access to a positive reinforcer that is maintaining that behavior eg) loud in class for attention--sit alone in hall (no attention given anymore) 1) Exclusionary 2) Nonexclusionary

Question 28

1) Exclusionary

Answer 28

-Completely removed from the location -eg) Class to the hallway

Question 29

2) Nonexclusionary

Answer 29

-Prevented from participating, but still in location -eg) Class to corner of classroom alone--can still hear other kids participating but you cannot join in

Question 30

2) Response cost

Answer 30

-Contingent on a problem behavior occurring, a specified amount of reinforcer is removed -If you engage in problem behavior then this amount of thing will be taken away eg) swear jar -Conditioned reinforcers helpful to provide immediate consequence when there is a delay in delivery of punisher

Question 31

Negative reinforcement practices

Answer 31

1) escape learning 2) avoidance learning 3) learned helplessness

Question 32

1) Escape learning

Answer 32

-When an operant changes the environment from a situation where a negative reinforcer (aversive stimulus) is present to one where it is absent (shock floor to no shock floor) -Reflexive unconditioned responses (UR)

Question 33

Reflexive UR

Answer 33

-Compatibility with reflexive UR affects how quickly a response occurs -Conditioning escape easiest when operant is similar to the reflexive UR behavior elicited by the aversive stimulus

Question 34

2) Avoidance learning

Answer 34

-When an operant prevents the occurrence of an aversive stimulus -need to have a reliable stimulus in the environment (antecedent) that warns of upcoming delivery of the aversive stimulus -Escape responses are typically learned faster than avoidance responses

Question 35

3) Learned helplessness

Answer 35

-When an inescapable aversive stimulus is repeatedly encountered, individuals learn that it cannot be escaped and stop trying -Believe that they are unable to influence the situation, they are helpless -Model for depression and anxiety

Question 36

How to overcome learned helplessness

Answer 36

1) Treatment: Create a situation in which failure of avoidance is not possible 2) Prevention: Pre-exposure to escape and avoidance contingencies can block the learned helplessness brought on by inescapable aversive elements

Question 37

Reinforcing punishments

Answer 37

-Someone who successfully uses punishment to reduce the occurrence of an undesired behavior is negatively reinforced by the removal of that aversive behavior and is therefore more likely to engage in that behavior in the future -Can also lead to imitation or modelling in the individuals being punished

Question 38

Avoiding/escaping punishment

Answer 38

-Punishment can induce escape and avoidance behaviors like lying, hiding, learning when it is safe to engage in behavior without being caught and avoiding punishment -Aggression can also be a form of escape -Lashing out due to punishment eg) birds only on TV if spray bottle is not near