Punishment

1. Punishment

2. Behavior Increase Decrease Positive Reinforcement Positive Punishment Presented Remove Or Omitted Negative Punishment Negative Reinforcement So, reinforcement= behavior punishment= behavior stimulus

3. Positive Punishment Generally referred to as Punishment When response occurs, consequence is presentation of an aversive stimulus Probability of response decreases =  Negative Punishment More often referred to as Penalty When response occurs, consequence is removal of a reinforcer Probability of response decreases =  Types of Punishment

4. Punishment A behavior reduction process in which the occurrence of a behavior is followed by an aversive stimulus (punisher) Negative Behavior  Adverse Consequence Behavior TAKES something desirable environment Positive Behavior  Adverse Consequence Behavior ADDS something undesirable environment • Speeding  $ bye bye • Child fighting no recess • Cheat girlfriend bye bye • Touch a stove  get burned • Risky sexual beh.  STD • Pay Bill late  late charge

5. Last winter Alvin went downhill skiing for the first time. He had a bad fall on the ski hill and broke his leg. What impact will this have on Alvin’s skiing? If Alvin is less likely to go downhill skiing in the future because of this consequence, then his skiing behavior has been punished

6. As with Reinforcement, Punishment: Primary and Secondary Punishers • Primary Punisher: does not require learning to be effective • pain is avoided from birth • hunger • Secondary Punisher: ..experience: punishment that was originally neutral and became aversive through pairing it with a primary punisher • for example, loss of an allowance has been associated with inability to buy things which has been associated with hunger

7. Intrinsic & Extrinsic Punishment • Intrinsic = the activity itself is punishing • for example, riding a roller coaster makes you feel sick; you’re less likely to ride another one because it was inherently punishing • Extrinsic = the activity is followed by a separate event that is punishing • for example, being rude to a parent results in loss of your allowance for the week; you’re less likely to be rude to your parent in the near future

8. Does Punishment Work?

9. Does punishment work? Skinner (1938) - 2 grps rats – VI of lever pressing for food (3 session) - 4th session - extinction - Punishment: slap on paw – 1st 10 min

10. Estes (1944) Trained to Lever press for food 3 Extinction session – 2 grps (con & press + shock) Only shocked during 1st Extinction session

11. Azrin (1960) • Pigeons (key pressing) • VI schedule • punishment introduced “mild shock” • first decreased response • Over course of sessions behavior back to normal • habitation to the mild shock

12. Does punishment work in animals? Punishment works…“Temporary Suppression” Not good for changing behavior for the long-term Revision of Thorndikes “Law of Effect” …punishing a response does nothing to the strength of connection… unsatisfying consequence doesn’t make behavior less

13. Effect of Shock Intensity on Responses 15 min Boe & Church (1967) Punishment worked

14. Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Punishment Effective Punishers must be… 1. manner of introduction (intensity) 2. immediacy of punishment (delay) 3. schedule of punishment

15. 1. Manner of Introduction Intensity Punishment needs to be immediately introduced at full intensity Azrin, Holtz & Hake (1963) Pigeons (key pressing) 80 v – total suppression 60 v – no suppression then up to 300 v suppression If punisher to mild could backfire

16. 2. Immediacy of Punishment (Delay) Delay between response --------- punishment Less time between these 2 more effective

17. Solomon, Turner, Lessac (1968) Stage 1 Dogs offered choice between preferred/nonpreferred food Room with experimenter & 2 dishes Eat good stuff = wack on snout with newspaper Delay of hit on snout  0, 5 & 15 sec 3 to 4 wacks dogs learned not to eat good food for all groups

18. Solomon, Turner, Lessac (1968) Stage 2 – How effective was punishment? Later “temptation trials” (10 min) No experimenter in room – 500g good /20g bad stuff Food deprived – hungry How longs for dogs to eat? 15 sec delay = 3 min 5 sec delay = 8 days 0 sec delay = 2 weeks “wait till your Dad gets home”

19. Factors influencing the effectiveness of punishment 3. Schedule of punishment FR FI VR VI CRF is best / FR 1 vs Fr 1000 Punishment is not similar to Reinforcement

20. Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Punishment Effective Punishers must be… 1. manner of introduction (intensity) 2. immediacy of punishment (delay) 3. schedule of punishment

21. Punishment in Humans same as animals? Bucher & Lovaas (1968) Electric shock used on Autistic child Highly destructive behavior Case Study “John” (7 yr old) OCD – banging head/hitting self Hospitalized – kept in restraints Reinforcement didn’t work Shocked after destructive behavior

22. 250 tx E= punisher Punishment very effective in controlling human behavior 1. Can promote long-term suppression of behavior (5 yrs) 2. Environment can control the response (stimulus control)

23. Punishment in humans Same as animals but new addition** Manner of introduction (Intensity): self mutilation behavior in mentally retarded – mild shock did not work but greater did Schedule: FR1 – Mom’s kept diary of punishment, higher proportion of bad behavior to punishment = less misbehaving… same with arrests  higher proportion of arrests followed by punishment = less likely to re offend

24. Immediacy of punishment (Delay): similar to dogs  toys • Aronfreed (1968) repeated Solomon’s Study • Children (pairs of toys) attractive and no so attractive • The attractive one was always punished (take away candy) •  delays of 0, 2, 6, or 12 seconds • All groups learned to avoid the toy (after 2-3 punishments) • Results: • In extinction: • Only 50% 0 & 2 sec delay groups reached …after 5 min • Other groups all reached and in less than 1 min

25. Explanation for punishment Aronfreed (1968) – immediacy of punishment Added a group  punished when picking up toy but given explanation for why they should not do so Explanation group significantly more likely to resist the temptation of the toy **Accompanied by a clear (fair) example

26. Explanation for punishment – more info on why…better Cheyne (1969) – Children with toys (3rd graders) Punished group of children for picking up toy “That’s Bad” “That’s bad you shouldn’t play with it” “That’s bad you shouldn’t play with it because that toy belongs to someone else” Full explanation group significantly more likely to resist the temptation of the toy

28. Punishment • Immediate • Firm • Consistent • Delivered in a variety of settings • Clear & Fair Explanation

29. Nearly 50% of drunk drivers are repeat offenders • Punishment isn’t strong enough • Stronger punishments are more effective and last longer • To be effective punishment must occur every time • Odds of getting caught drunk driving are 1/2000 • Punishment for drunk driving occurs much later then the offense • Punishment should not be delayed

30. Punishment…works with involuntary behavior??? YES….Heller & Strang (1873) • Bruxism: Grinding and gnashing teeth • 5 % of College Students • damage to jaw and teeth • social implications • Baseline (noise activated device): 100 ocurrances/hr • Pt. Wore ear plug…3 sec burst of noise when activated • Decreased grinding to 30/hr • Also effective for chronic coughing, sneezing, vomitting

31. Side Effects of Punishment 1. Emotional Effects Fear Anger Impact on learning & Performance

32. The strong emotional responses that accompany punishment may interfere with the ability to attend to and/or learn from the situation: narrowing of attention …Like the Yerkes-Dodson law

33. College students • Memory tasks • Mistake punished by shock or by a tone • Shock group worked slower & made more mistakes Balaban et al (1990) teacher  goal to reduce mistakes…punishment can backfire

34. CER (Emotions) may be classically conditioned to stimuli associated with punishment • e.g., fear and anxiety to the person and/or situation; person may avoid the person administering punishment • Martin (1977) • Boys working on series of tasks were praised, reprimanded or ignored for effort • Put more effort into reprimanded tasks • In absence of teacher, reprimanded tasks were never freely chosen …avoided the teacher…

35. Side Effects of Punishment Aggression • Against punisher or anyone around • “pain elicited aggression” Ulrich & Azrin (1962) 2 rats peaceful Get shocks = fighting “attack when hurt” Been shown in cats, raccoons, monkeys & alligators Prison!

36. Berkowitz, Cochrane & Embree (1979) • - University Women • Cold/warm water • Reinforcement vs punishment of partner • Cold water = more punishment • “Teachers” with their hand in ice-cold water chose to be more punitive with their “Pupils” Modeling For children: Learning that punishment is acceptable…

37. Side Effects of Punishment Spanking…. Toilet Accidents = Bedwetting children Dedendency = more dependent Aggressive = more aggressive children Please someone do this for their paper…. Does spanking work?

38. Side Effects of Punishment 2. Low Generalization: Continual Monitoring  Guilt In real world situation must monitor continually “Daddy, I did something wrong…come punish me” No likely to happen! Suppress behavior only in the presence of punisher ..may lead to guilt

39. Side Effects of Punishment 3. Circumvent punishment • Clever Rats • Received shock for lever pressing (food) • rat learned to still display behavior • lying on back – fur served as buffer from shock People more ingenious

40. Side Effects of Punishment 4. General Suppression of Behavior Ex: classroom behavior  reduce needless questions “that’s a stupid question”  not only reduce “stupid questions” but all questions Entire Class + ..indicates “what not” to do instead of “what to do”…no additional learning required…

41. Side Effects of Punishment 5. Learned Helplessness • Giving up  helpless to control the situation • No need to try and avoid & escape • Seligman (1967) • 10 sec warning signal of shock  50 sec of shock • over barrier escape…tone=no shock: during shock=no shock • Control grp learned to escape • Tx group = 64 inescapable shocks • Con quickly learned to jump over • Tx group did not learn…took shocks Floor (shock)

42. Is Punishment Effective? • Punishment is most effective when it is immediate, firm, consistent, delivered in a variety of settings, and when it is accompanied by a clear (and fair) explanation • Under these circumstances, punishment can be a powerful technique for suppressing behavior But negative Effects….why do people use punishment?….

43. Reinforcing to the Punisher… Immediate effect…works for that Immediate situation Which type if reinforcement??? Negative..increase behavior to take bad behavior away

44. Principle of Minimal Force

45. Mild Forms of Punishment (negative) Time Out (time out from positive reinforcement): involves secluding or ignoring an individual so that access to positive reinforcers are cut off for a specified short period of time extinction.. Misbehavior results in removal to a less Reinforcing environment for a specified period Sit in corner  make sure that the new environment does not provide any reinforcement

46. ABAB TX Design 10 episodes Stan (brain injury) fro hoarding cig butts, pieces of dust, Food, socks, underwear in pockets Time out: 10 min in quiet area + reinforcement for good behavior

47. Response cost (Token Economies) Withdrawl of previously earned reinforcers  Reinforcer is taken away following behavior appears to be most effective when combined with reinforcement of appropriate behavior Token Economies  lost points or tokens

48. Response Cost • Children…

49. Reprimands– • scolding or admonishing as punishment • reprimands are often more effective when they • are accompanied by eye contact or a firm grip – • or spoken quietly in close proximity • to the child being punished

50. Restitution and Overcorrection • People take actions that correct the results of their misdeeds • a misbehaving individual must return the environment to the same state of affairs it was in before the misbehavior • e.g., a child who breaks a window must pay for a new one; child who makes a mess must clean it up  • Restitution is a good example of a logical consequence, where the punishment fits the crime.