Eliminating Inappropriate Behavior Through Punishment Chapter 12

Definitions Punisher Principle of Punishment Event that when presented immediately after behavior, caused that behavior to decrease in frequency Aversive stimuli Aversives Principle of Punishment If in a certain situation a person is punished for a behavior, then the person is less likely to do the same thing again in a similar situation

Behavior Modification View of Punishment Punishment should be immediate Technical word – application of immediate consequences to decrease behavior Layperson View More inclusive – ex: prison; death penalty Should involve retribution More serious offenses deserve more punishment Used as a deterrent for potential wrong-doers.

Specific Types of Punishers Pain-inducing punishers Physical punishers Activate pain receptors Unconditioned punishers Reprimands Verbal reprimands Fixed stare Firm grasp Conditioned punishers

Specific Types of Punishers Time-outs Moving a person to a less reinforcing situation Exclusionary time-out Removing person for a short time from 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-acting effects (delayed punishment)

Influencing 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 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.

Should Punishment Be Used? Can have harmful effects: Elicits aggressive behavior Can produce undersirable 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 over use and not enough use of reinforcement of desirable behavior

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

Pitfall of Punishment Criticism may discourage close approximations of behavior from developing into target behavior

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