Psychology of Learning PSY211 Operant/Instrumental Conditioning: Punishment

B. Charles Tatum

Reinforcer (Positive/Negative) Response Stimulus Consequence (Onset/Offset) Punisher (Positive/Negative/Extinction)

Future Responses Increase Decrease Stimulus Consequence Produce (Onset) Positive Reinforcement Reward (e.g., praise) Negative Reinforcement (e.g., nagging) Positive Punishment (e.g., spanking) Negative Punishment Extinction (e.g., time out)

Remove (Offset)

Rate from a Cumulative Record

Number of Responses (Cumulative Responses)

Time

Rewarded Time

Number of Responses (Cumulative Responses)

Introduce Punishment

The Concept of Punishment

Key Characteristics Behavior has a consequence (e.g., crime leads to prison, cheating leads to dismissal) Behavior decreases in strength or frequency (e.g., crime declines, cheating stops) Reduction in behavior is a result of its consequences (e.g., criminals go straight because of prison, cheating stops because of dismissal) Varieties of Punishment Positive: The behavior (response) leads to the onset of some aversive event that suppresses future responses (e.g., shock, scolding, physical blows) Negative: The behavior (response) leads to the offset (removal) of some pleasant event that suppresses future responses (e.g., removal of attention, desired toy, previous rewards) Related Concepts Extinction: The removal of a prior reinforcer (special case of negative punishment) Negative Reinforcement: Behavior (response) leads to the offset of some aversive event and increases future behavior (e.g., get parents off your back, remove a headache)

Conditions Affecting Punishment

R-S Contingency: Dependency of punishing event on behavior (the response must lead directly and predictably to the punishing event). R-S Delay: The longer the delay between response and punisher, the less effective the punishment (e.g., immediate reprimands are better than delayed reprimands). Intensity: Strong punishers work better than weak punishers. Progressive Punishment: Punishment is less effective if weak punishers are followed by progressively stronger punishers. Punishment Combined with Reinforcement Behaviors that are both reinforced and punished become resistant to punishment (e.g., children who get attention [reinforced] by being punished for misbehaving become increasingly troublesome). Punishment works best on behavior (e.g., criminal activities) when alternative behaviors (e.g., community service) are reinforced. When the motivation to engage in a behavior is strong (because the reinforcement was strong) punishment is less effective.

Problems with Punishment

Temporary Effects: The effects are not long lasting. Escape and Avoidance: We try to escape from or avoid aversive stimuli (e.g., running away from home, lying to parents, escaping from prison). Aggression: Aversive stimuli lead to aggression. Displaced Aggression (e.g., sabotage, vandalism). Elicited Aggression. Apathy: Punishment suppresses other behaviors. Fixation: Punishment limits the range of behaviors. Animals only respond in safe ways, are unwilling to try new behaviors (e.g., learned helplessness). Progressive Punishment can go too far (e.g., spouse abuse). Imitation of the Punisher (e.g., successive generations of child abuse).

Alternatives to Aversive Control (Negative Reinforcement and Positive Punishment)

Prevention: Modify the environment to preclude the behavior (e.g., disconnect the keyboard, install a V-Chip, lock the medicine cabinet). Extinction: Identify the reinforcing stimulus and remove it (e.g., time out) Differential reinforcement of zero (DRO) responding : Reinforce not responding for a period of time (e.g., remain motionless for five minutes) Differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL) of behavior (e.g., reinforce lower levels of aggression, lower levels of activity) Differential reinforcement of incompatible (DRI) behaviors (e.g., reinforce sitting at your desk, dont reinforce moving around; reinforce getting to meetings, or class, on time) Differential reinforcement of alternative (DRA) behaviors (e.g., reinforce saying nice things to classmates)

Theories of Punishment
Disruption Theory: Punishment suppresses responding because it leads to a disruption of ongoing activity (e.g., jumping, freezing). Two-Process Theory: Punishment involves both classical and operant conditioning. Similar to the two process theory of avoidance. Stimuli associated with the punisher (e.g., lever, cookie jar) become a CS for reactions to the punisher (e.g., the sight of the lever or the cookie jar is associated with fear). We avoid the CS (e.g., lever, cookie jar) and thus decrease responses to the stimulus (e.g., dont press lever, dont take cookies) One-Process Theory: Only operant conditioning is involved in punishment. Punishment suppresses behavior just as reinforcement strengthens behavior (e.g., high preference behavior reinforces low preference behavior; low preference behavior punished high preference behavior).