Eliminating Inappropriate Behavior Through Punishment Chapter 12 Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Definitions Punisher Event that, when presented immediately after a behavior, causes that behavior to decrease in frequency Synonyms Aversive stimuli Aversives Principle of Punishment If in a certain situation a person engages in a behavior that is followed immediately by a punisher, then the person is less likely to do the same thing again in a similar situation. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Behavior Modification versus Layperson View of Punishment Behavior Modification View: Punishment should be immediate Technical word – application of immediate consequences to decrease behavior Differs from Layperson View Layperson view Should involve retribution Should be used as a deterrent for potential wrong-doers Behavior modification view: should be used sparingly to decrease or eliminate undesirable behavior Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Specific Types of Punishers Pain-inducing punishers Physical punishers Activate pain receptors Unconditioned punishers Reprimands Verbal reprimands Fixed stare Firm grasp Conditioned punishers Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Specific Types of Punishers Time-outs Moving a person to a less reinforcing situation Exclusionary time-out Removing a person for a short time from a situation Time-out room Nonexclusionary time-out Using a stimulus associated with less reinforcement Response Cost Removal of specified amount of reinforcer May involve indirect effects (delayed punishment) Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Increasing the Effectiveness of Punishment Increase stimuli for positive, alternative behaviors Minimize the cause of undesirable behaviors Select an appropriate punisher The more intense the better; however, intensity that is needed is dependent upon the causes of undesirable behavior Adding an antecedent to punishment SDp – stimulus in the presence of which a response will be punished Delivering the punisher Most effective when delivered immediately after the behavior Occasional punishment is less effective than punishment that follows every instance of the undesirable behavior Delivery of punishment should not be paired with positive reinforcement – this weakens the punisher Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Should Punishment Be Used? Can have harmful effects: Elicits aggressive behavior Can produce undesirable emotional side effects (i.e. crying, fearfulness) Escape and avoidance behavior Can cause the situation and people associated with the aversive stimulus to become conditioned punishers No new behavior is taught Modeling of punishment Children may learn to apply aversive stimuli on others Continued use of punishment Punishment results in quick suppression of undesirable behavior This can lead to overuse and not enough use of reinforcement of desirable behavior Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Behavior Modifiers and Punishment Programs Recommendation to use punishment as a last resort because: Easy to abuse Application can have harmful side effects Consider designing punishment programs only when: Clear steps are taken to maximize the conditions for a desirable alternative response and to minimize the causes of the response to be punished The behavior is very maladaptive and it is in the client’s best interest to bring about rapid behavior change The client (or parent or guardian) provides informed consent The intervention meets ethical standards Punishment is applied according to clear guidelines The program includes safeguards to protect the client Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Pitfall of Punishment May discourage close approximations of behavior from developing into target behavior May result in undesirable side effects Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Guidelines for the Effective Application of Punishment Select a response Punishment is more effective with a specific behavior Maximize the conditions for a desirable alternative response Select alternative behavior Provide strong prompts Reinforce Minimize the causes of the response to be punished Select an effective punisher Present clear SDps Deliver the punisher Present immediately after every instance of response to be decreased Administer in a calm, matter-of-fact manner Do not pair with reinforcement Take data Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.