Understanding Operant Conditioning: The Role of Punishment
School
Red Deer College**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
PSYCHOLOGY 282
Subject
Psychology
Date
Dec 12, 2024
Pages
11
Uploaded by LieutenantComputer12693
TOPIC 6: Operant (Instrumental Conditioning: Punishment Topic Outline•Punishment basics •Premack Principle for punishment •Variables affecting punishment •Applications of aversive contingencies •Concerns and considerations with punishment Punishment BasicsTerms and DefinitionsPunishment•Punishment: Occurrence of a behaviour is followed by an immediate consequence that results in the weakening of the behaviour oI.e., become less likely to engage in the behaviour again in the future when given the opportunity Positive Punishment•Positive Punishment: Adding something aversive after a behaviour occurs decreases likelihood of that behaviour under the same conditions in the future oResults in the suppression or decrease of a response Negative Punishment
•Negative Punishment:Removing something appetitive after a behaviour occurs decreases likelihood of that behaviour under the same conditions in the future oResults in the suppression or decrease of a response Important Definitions•Punishment: The procedure of providing consequences for a behaviour that decreases the probability of that behaviour in the future •Punisher: Any event or stimulus that follows a operant response and decreases its future probability Types of Punishers•Positive Punisher:Any event or stimulus that, when presented as a consequence of a behaviour, decreases the future probability of that behaviour •Negative Punisher:Any event or stimulus that, when removed as a consequence of a behaviour, decreases the future probability of that behaviour Important Considerations•Punishers are defined by their effect on behaviour oIf it doesn’t decrease the behaviour it’s not a punisher•Punishers are things we will escape or avoid given the opportunity oWhen using punishment, need to account for these escape and avoidance tendencies Premack Principle for PunishmentRelative Nature of PunishersPremack Principle for Reinforcement•High-probability behaviour reinforces low-probability behaviour oIf the low-probability behaviour must be completed in order to get to perform the high-probability behaviour, then the low-probability behaviour will be more likely to occur as time goes on ▪E.g., Piano (low prob.) → Coffee (high prob.) =↑ Piano•Low-probability does not reinforce high-probability Premack Principle for Punishment•Low-probability behaviour punishes high-probability behaviour oIf the low-probability behaviour must be completed if the high-probability behaviour has occurred, then the high-probability behaviour will be less likely to occur as time goes on ▪E.g., Coffee (high prob.) → Piano (low prob.) =↓ Coffee
•High-probability does not punish low-probability Variables Affecting PunishmentInfluences on EffectivenessContingency Affects Punishment•Contingency:The degree of correlation between a behaviour and its consequence oIf the behaviour occurs, the punisher always follows oThe punisher only occurs after the behaviour •High contingency = behaviour and punisher have a predictive association (strong learning) •Low contingency = weak association between behaviour and punisher (weak/slow learning) Contiguity Affects Punishment •Contiguity:Nearness of events in time (temporal contiguity) or space (spatial contiguity) oIf the behaviour occurs, the punisher should be delivered immediately and in the same location
•The longer the delay or larger the distance between the behaviour and the punisher (less contiguity), the slower the learningIntensity Affects Punishment •Intensity:Magnitude or severity of a punisher oMore intense punishers produce stronger learning •“All studies of the intensity of punishment have found that the greater the intensity of the punishing stimulus the greater the reduction of the punished responses.”
- Azrin & Holz (1966, p.396)Intensity Affects Punishment •Introductory intensity of punishment matters oIf punishment is to be used, it must be intense enough to suppress the behaviour dramatically •Risks of not using intense punishers: oBehaviour does NOT get suppressed oMore instances of punishment are required oGreater intensities end up being required Reinforcement Affects Punishment •Effectiveness of reinforcer(s) maintaining a behaviour influence effectiveness of punisher •Providing other means of obtaining reinforcement that maintained a behaviour will suppress the behaviour more effectively than not providing one oBehaviour decreases more rapidly oPunishment may not be necessary
Motivating Operations Affect Punishment •Establishing operations make a punisher more effective oE.g., if you’re deprived of dessert when you’re really hungry•Abolishing operations make a punisher less effective oE.g., if you’re deprived of dessert when you’ve already had something sweetApplications of Aversive ContingenciesPunishment, Escape, and AvoidanceAversive Contingencies
Positive Punishment Practices•Overcorrection •Contingent exercise •Guided compliance •Physical restraint Overcorrection•Contingent on the problem behaviour, individual has to engage in effortful behaviour related to the problem behaviour oPositive Practice:Must do the correct form of a behaviour for a period of time oRestitution:Must fix the environment disrupted by the problem behaviour Contingent Exercise•Contingent on the problem behaviour, the individual engages in some effortful behaviour for a specified period of time oThe effortful behaviour is unrelated to the problem behaviour Guided Compliance•Contingent on problem behaviour that occurs following a request, the individual is physically guided to comply with the request oPositively punishes non-compliance oNegatively reinforces compliance oPositive reinforcement of compliance is easily incorporated
Physical Restraint•Contingent on the problem behaviour, the body part involved in the behaviour is held immobile for a specified period of time •Response Blocking:Physically stopping a behaviour from being completed oCan prevent problems generated by the behaviour oMay prevent the behaviour from being reinforced Negative Punishment•Time out •Response cost Time Out•“Time-Out” from Positive Reinforcement•Behaviour results in loss of access to a positive reinforcer that is maintaining that behaviour oE.g., acting out in class to get attention results in having to sit in the hallway alone (no attention) oExclusionary:completely removed from the location oNonexclusionary:prevented from participating, but still in the location Response Cost•Contingent on a problem behaviour occurring, a specified amount of reinforcer is removed oIf you engage in the problem behaviour, then this amount of a thing will be taken away ▪E.g., swear jar •Conditioned reinforcers helpful to provide immediate consequence when there is a delay in delivery of punisher
Negative Reinforcement•Escape learning •Avoidance learning •Learned helplessness Learned Helplessness•When an inescapable aversive situation is repeatedly encountered, individuals learn that it cannot be escaped and stop trying oCome to believe that they are unable to influence the situation, they are helpless oModel for depression and anxiety Overcome Learned Helplessness•Treatment: oCreate a situation in which failure of avoidance is not possible •Prevention: oPre-exposure to escape and avoidance contingencies can block the learned helplessness brought on by inescapable aversive events Concerns and Considerations with PunishmentEthics and Best PracticesPunishment can be Reinforcing
•Someone who successfully uses punishment to reduce the occurrence of an undesired behaviour is negatively reinforced by the removal of that aversive behaviour and is therefore more likely to engage in that behaviour in the future •Can also lead to imitation or modelling in the individual being punished Avoiding and Escaping Punishment •Punishment can induce escape and avoidance behaviours like lying, hiding, learning when it’s safe to engage in the behaviour without being caught, avoiding the individual delivering the punishment •Aggression can also be a form of escape oLash out when being punished Alternative Behaviours•Punishment alone doesn’t teach acceptable behaviours that could be done insteadoPunishment only decreases behaviour oAcceptable behaviours still need to be reinforced •If no alternative behaviours are reinforced the organism may just ‘do nothing’ at all and exhibit a malaise or apathy Punishment as a Last Resort•Use functional interventions first •Differential reinforcement with punishment •Consider the function of the problem behaviour •Choose the aversive stimulus with care •Collect data to make treatment decisions •Address the ethical considerations of punishment Effective Punishment•Do not delay punishment •Use consistent contingency and intensity oIntense enough to stop behaviour •Explain punishment (especially if delayed) •Negative punishment is preferable •Provide alternatives for reinforcement Ethics of Punishment•Informed consent •Alternative treatments •Recipient safety •Problem severity •Implementation guidelines •Training and supervision
•Peer review