Punishment as a form of behaviour modification Essay -- essays researc

IntroductionPunishment is a process through which the consequence of a response decreases the likelihood that the response will recur (Gray, 2002, pp.115). Further, penalty can be seen as an effort to decrease the response pose to stimuli by every removing a needd stimulus or presenting genius which is undesired (Gray, 2002). Recent studies suggest that penalty can be an efficacious method of behavior modification. However, as reported in Lerman and Vorndran (2002), there are a number of limitations to punishment as an intervention and subsequent cast out side effects. For this reason, certain principles upon which the implementation of a successful punishment is leechlike must be adhered to. In accordance to these findings, this essay will sell that whilst there are alternative means to operant conditioning, certain punishment techniques have been proven to be effectual and in some aspects advantageous.The strength of punishmentPunishment is one of the most used, but l east silent and badly administered, aspects of learning (Luthans, 1977, pp.300). As mentioned earlier, punishment is anything which weakens behaviour and tends to decrease it in subsequent frequency. Positive punishment is the method of administering negative consequences upon the occurrence of an feat whereas Negative punishment involves the termination of positive consequences. In order to work, either case must weaken and decrease the behaviour which preceded the application or withdrawal of the stimuli. Skinner (1953) stipulated that we must defy the urge to label a digit of stimuli as desired or undesired as a whole but rather to identify them by their effect on the observed subject.Whether punishment is effective depends on the criteria applied or the objectives to be achieved. That is, before we can say it is useful we must ask whether we desire an immediate or a lasting effect, and at how high a cost. There is some evidence to suggest that when punishment is administered in the form of aversive stimulation, it acts to suppress behaviour temporarily. When it is withdrawn, the punished behaviour rapidly gains strength. If the punishment is more severe and given consistently, it may act to suppress behaviour for a longer period of time (Skinner, 1953). Historically, the efficacy of punishment has been apprehended only in the pa... ... determine its utility (Lerman & Vorndran, 2002). Ultimately, if punishment is necessary, it should always be used in combination with positive reinforcement (Luthans, 1977, p.517).ReferencesBlackham, G.J., & Silberman, A. (1971). Modification of minor Behaviour. Belmont, California Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc.Browning, R.M., & Stover, D.O. (1971). Behaviour Modification in Child Treatment. kale AldineAtherton, Inc.Gray, P. (2002). Psychology (4th ed.). New York Worth Publishers.Lerman, D. C., & Vorndran, C. M. (2002). On the status of knowledge for victimisation punishment Implications for treating behavior dis orders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 431-464.Lieberman, D. A. (2000). Learning, Behavior and cognition (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Chapter 7Luthans, F. (1977). Organizational Behaviour. United States of America McGraw-Hill, Inc.Sanson, A., Montgomery, B., Gault, U., Gridley, H., & Thomson, D. (1996). Punishment and behaviour commute An Australian Psychology Society position paper. Australian Psychologist, 31, 157-165.Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and military man behaviour. New York Macmillan Co.