Topics 17 & 18: Applying Punishment

Question 1

Time Out From Positive Reinforcement

Answer 1

A type of negative punishment in which, contingent on the occurrence of the problem behaviour, the person loses access to positive reinforcers for a brief period

Typically, the person is removed from the reinforcing environment in a time-out procedure

Question 2

Non-exclusionary Time-Out

Answer 2

A type of time-out procedure in which, contingent on the problem behaviour, the person is removed from all sources of reinforcement but is not removed from the room where the problem behaviour occurred

Question 3

Exclusionary Time-Out

Answer 3

A time-out procedure in which the person is briefly removed from the reinforcing environment, typically to another room, contingent on the occurrence of a problem behaviour

Question 4

Time-In

Answer 4

The environment from which the child is removed during the use of time-out

The time-in environment should be positively reinforcing for time-out to be effective

Question 5

Contingent Observation

Answer 5

A type of non-exclusionary time-out in which, contingent on the occurrence of the problem behaviour, the person is removed from a reinforcing activity for a brief time and required to sit and observe other people as they continue to engage in the activity

Question 6

Response Cost

Answer 6

A negative punishment procedure in which, contingent on a behaviour, specified amount of reinforcer is removed

Question 7

Application of Aversive Activities

Answer 7

A positive punishment in which, contingent on the undesirable behaviour, the client is required to engage in an aversive activity (a low-probability behaviour) to decrease the future probability of the undesirable behaviour

Question 8

Overcorrection

Answer 8

A positive punishment procedure in which, contingent on the problem behaviour a person is required to engage in effortful activity for a brief period

Positive practice and restitution are two types of overcorrection

Question 9

Positive Practice

Answer 9

A type of overcorrection procedure in which, contingent on the problem behaviour, the client is required to engage in correct forms of relevant behaviour until the behaviour has been repeated a number of times

Question 10

Restitution

Answer 10

A type of overcorrection procedure in which, contingent on the occurrence of the problem behaviour, the client is required to correct the environment to a condition better than that which existed before the problem behaviour

Question 11

Contingent Exercise

Answer 11

A positive punishment procedure involving the application of aversive activities, contingent on the problem behaviour, the person is required to engage in some form of physical exercise

Question 12

Guided Compliance

Answer 12

A positive punishment procedure used with a person who displays non compliant behaviour, when you make a request and the person refuses to comply, you physically prompt the person to engage in the behaviour

The physical prompt is removed as the person complies with the request on their own

Guided compliance prevents escape from the requested behaviour, and this also serves as an extinction procedure when the non compliant behaviour is negatively reinforced by escape from the requested activity

Question 13

Physical Restraint

Answer 13

A type of positive punishment procedure in which, contingent on the occurrence of the problem behaviour, the change agent holds immobile the part of the client’s body that is involved in the problem behaviour so that the client cannot continue to engage in the behaviour

Question 14

Response Blocking

Answer 14

A procedure in which the change agent physically blocks a problem behaviour so that the client cannot complete the response

It is often used in conjunction with brief restraint

Question 15

Application of Aversive Stimulation

Answer 15

A positive punishment procedure in which an aversive stimulus is delivered contingent on the occurrence of the undesirable behaviour to decrease the future probability of the undesirable behaviour

Question 16

Informed Consent

Answer 16

The process in which the client is informed of the behaviour modification procedure to be used and agrees in writing to undergo the procedure

Necessary for the use of positive punishment procedures

Question 17

What are the differences between operant extinction and negative punishment?

Answer 17

In operant extinction: the reinforcer that was supporting the behaviour is no longer given

In negative punishment: a reinforcer is removed or withdrawn

Question 18

What is the process involved in extinction and it’s results?

Answer 18

Process: stop giving the reinforcer maintaining the behaviour

Results: response weakens or decreased gradually

Question 19

What is the process involved in time-out and it’s results?

Answer 19

Person is removed from access to reinforcers

Contingent removal of access to reinforcers

Response weakens or decreases rapidly

Question 20

What is the process involved in response cost and it’s results?

Answer 20

A reinforcer is taken away from the person

Contingent loss of a reinforcer currently possessed

Response weakens or decreases rapidly

Question 21

What is a time-out from positive reinforcement?

Answer 21

Loss of access to positive reinforcers following an undesirable behaviour

Question 22

What is a non-exclusionary time-out?

Answer 22

After an undesirable behaviour, person remains in the same room or location as the time-in, but is denied access to reinforcers

E.g. after disruptive behaviour, a student has to put her head down and is not allowed to participate in class

In the same location but no reinforcement

Question 23

What is contingent observation?

Answer 23

Person is denied access to reinforcers, and must observe others engaging in activities

Question 24

What is exclusionary time-out?

Answer 24

Following an undesirable behaviour, a person is moved to a different part of the room or location and is denied reinforcers

Or is moved a different room

Person is not allowed to participate in or watch activity, may not even be able to watch others

E.g. having to sit in the corner or on a naughty spot after misbehaving

Question 25

What is isolation time-out?

Answer 25

Person is removed from the environment in which the reinforcers are available, to a separate setting in which they are alone

E.g. breaking the rules in prison results in solitary confinement

Also called “disciplinary segregation”

Question 26

What are time-out rooms?

Answer 26

Also called “quiet rooms”, “cool down rooms”, “calming rooms”, or “seclusion rooms”

Intended to help people calm down

Can maintain safety by preventing people from causing physical harm to him/herself, peers, or adults, or causing damage to property

Have been misused and mismanaged in schools in some jurisdictions

Have been the subject of several lawsuits

Question 27

What are the basic guidelines for time-out rooms?

Answer 27

Should be at least 6 feet x 6 feet

Properly lighted

Properly ventilated

Free of objects or fixtures that could be harmful

Allow audio/visual monitoring of person by supervisor/teacher

Not locked

Question 28

What are some issues with time-outs?

Answer 28

Time-out decreases undesirable behaviours, but desirable behaviours should also be encouraged

Ensure persons safety during the time-out, no opportunities for SIBs

Consider duration of the time-out period: use shortest duration that is effective

Prevent escape from time-out, if escape cannot be prevented time-out should not be used

Ensure time-out does not inadvertently evoke reinforcement

Determine whether time-out is acceptable for use with vulnerable populations

Question 29

Why should you consider the reinforcer in time-out?

Answer 29

Time-out does not work with negative reinforcement (e.g. escape) or automatic reinforcement (e.g. self stimulation, like hair pulling)

Ensure time-in procedure

Question 30

What are the practical concerns of time-out?

Answer 30

Is there enough space to put a person in an exclusionary time-out, or a separate room for isolation time-out?

Can person be physically moved there?

Question 31

What happens to prisoners subjected to solitary confinement?

Answer 31

They are more likely to land back in prison

It also causes increased incidence of depression and greater risk of premature death

Question 32

What is response cost?

Answer 32

Removal of a reinforcer following an undesirable behaviour

Can be implemented with tokens or other conditioned reinforcers or privileges

Severity of the punishment does not necessarily produce a greater effect, even modest punishment may be effective

May be even more effective than DRO over the long run

Question 33

What are examples of response cost?

Answer 33

Paying a fine for parking illegally

Eliminating food dealing and ingesting non food items

Increased completion of math problems by reducing off-task behaviour

Question 34

What is contingent delay in time-out?

Answer 34

Time-out does not end if behaviour has not ceased during the time-out period

This prevents escape from time-out as serving as negative reinforcement

Question 35

What are the issues with response cost?

Answer 35

Consider the reinforcer: what will be withdrawn, how much, and for how long, when to withdraw the reinforcer, for people with intellectual impairment remove reinforcer immediately, if using delay inform people immediately

Practical issues: if reinforcer cannot be physically taken away, use tokens or points systems instead

Person may avoid the situation or become aggressive (ensure contingencies are explained in advance)

Determine whether response cost is acceptable for use with vulnerable populations or at a given institution

Question 36

What is positive punishment?

Answer 36

Includes applying aversive or applying aversive stimuli

Question 37

What does applying aversive activities involve?

Answer 37

Involves low-probability behaviour that the person does not enjoy doing

Acts as a punisher if it follows a behaviour and decreases it

Question 38

What is overcorrection?

Answer 38

person has to perform effortful, low-probability behaviors contingent on the problem behavior

positive and negative practice

restitution

Question 39

What is positive practice?

Answer 39

after a problem behavior, person must correctly perform an opposite or appropriate behavior repeatedly

e.g., after rushing and getting many math problems wrong, a student has to do them over again more slowly

Question 40

What is negative practice?

Answer 40

after a problem behavior, person must perform the undesirable behavior repeatedly

e.g., after tapping her pencil in class, a student must spend recess tapper her pencil while saying, "This is what I'm not supposed to do"

Question 41

What is restitution?

Answer 41

after a problem behavior, person must correct the effects of the problem behavior and restore the environment - usually to a condition better than they were initially

e.g. after getting clothes muddy, a child has to wash and iron them and put them away neatly

Question 42

What is contingent exercise?

Answer 42

after a problem behavior, a person must perform exercise, usually not related to the problem behavior

e.g. drill sergeant makes a recruit do 20 pushups after failing to perform adequately

Question 43

What is guided complicance?

Answer 43

after a problem behavior, a person is physically guided to complete a requested behavior

like a physical guidance prompt

for many people, guided compliance is aversive

Question 44

What is physical restraint?

Answer 44

after a problem behavior, the part of the person's body that performed the behavior is immobilized

response blocking and response interruption/redirection

Question 45

What is response blocking?

Answer 45

behavior analyst physically prevents the person from carrying out or completing the problem behavior

e.g. stopping a child from putting her thumb in her mouth to prevent thumb-sucking

Question 46

What is response interruption/redirection (RIR)?

Answer 46

combines response blocking and differential reinforcement

after response is blocked, person is prompted to engage in a competing response using a least-to-most prompting hierarchy

e.g. student engages in hand-mouthing; teacher blocks; teacher prompts student to request edible reinforcer

used as treatment for automatically reinforced behaviors

Question 47

What is aversive stimulation applied?

Answer 47

involves presenting stimuli that are aversive or unpleasant to a person

acts as a punisher if it follows a behavior and decreases it

Question 48

What are reprimands?

Answer 48

harsh verbal criticism of behavior

e.g. saying "No!" to a child after un undesirable behavior

more effective when paired with eye contact, physical grasp of the shoulders, and close proximity to the person

Question 49

What is physically aversive stimuli?

Answer 49

cause physical pain, discomfort, or unpleasant sensations

examples: ice cube held against jaw to decrease teeth grinding, ammonia held under nose to reduce SIBs, loud noise to stop finger sucking, SIBIS

Question 50

What is the order of different functional interventions that must be used before punishment is considered?

Answer 50

1. antecedent control procedures/positive reinforcement/differential reinforcement
2. negative reinforcement
3. extinction
4. negative punishment
5. positive punishment: aversive stimuli should be used only as a last resort

Question 51

Why should you apply differential reinforcement along with punishment?

Answer 51

e.g. use DRO, DRA, or DRI

punishment indicates what not to do but does not teach desirable behavior

combining punishment with differential reinforcement is more effective than using punishment alone

adverse side-effects of punishment are less likely when differential reinforcement is also used

Question 52

What are some issues that analysts must face when applying punishment?

Answer 52

conduct a functional assessment to determine the function of the problem behavior

select the most effective punisher

use evidence-based approach in making treatment decisions, if punisher does not have an immediate effect on the target behavior, reconsider the treatment program

consider ethical implications of the use of punishment

Question 53

What are the ethics of punishment?

Answer 53

informed consent: does the person (or parent/legal guardian) agree to the treatment program?

alternative treatments: have other (less intrusive) treatments been applied?

safety: will the punisher cause any harm?

problem severity: unless treated, will the person cause harm to themselves or others? is the behavior embarrassing or bizarre?

implementation guidelines: has the behavioral program been made explicit

training and supervision: if a non-behavior analyst carries out the treatment, who will train and supervise them?

peer review: have other experts evaluated the treatment program?

accountability: all of above considerations must be followed

do not violate a person's human rights