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How to make punishment effective.
What is punishment?
Scientifically defined it is: A decrease in operant behavior when the behavior is followed by an aversive stimulus or when reinforcement is withdrawn contingent on responding. (how do you know if a stimulus is "aversive"? only if the animal seeks to escape or avoid it.) So, if a behavior doesn't decrease -- then that behavior has not been punished. Here's how to make it effective: 1.) Deliver the aversive stimulus abruptly -- not gradually (ever wonder how a masochist is made?). It should be swift and complete. 2.) Use a sufficient amount of intensity. Don't cause tissue damage, but don't get slack on delivery -- otherwise your "punishment" may become ineffective. 3.) Deliver the punishment _immediately_ following an unwanted behavior. 4.) Be consistent. To maximize suppression of target behavior, deliver the aversive stimulus as frequently as possible (after each and every occurance of the unwanted behavior), and increase intensity. So don't make idle threats; delivering punishment on an intermittent schedule will make it less effective in weaking the behavior (the opposite effect occurs with intermittent reinforcement). 5.) Remove the motivation to respond. If motivation is reduced, punishment will become most effective -- if it's even necessary anymore. 6.) Response alternative. Give the organism another way to obtain the same kinds of reinforcers. I.e., shape behavior that can effectively compete with the unwanted behavior. (of course this is not punishment, but is often most effective at decreasing an unwanted behavior). Finally, the less often you use punishment, the more effective it will become (in regard to a phenomenon known as "habituation", and the fact that competing emotional responses could disrupt the learning of response alternatives). |
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