Question

When is punishment (in behavior modification) appropriate to use? What are some harmful effects of the use of punishment (in behavior modification)?

Answer 1

Answer:

Punishment (in behavior modification) appropriate to use immediately after a behavior, punishment is more likely to lead to a reduction in behavior if it immediately follows the behavior.

Harmful effects :

Elicitation of undesirable emotional response and aggression :

1) Punishment especially positive punishment in the form of aversive stimulation , may evoke aggressive behaviour with respondent and operant components.

2) Aggressive behavior following punishment that occurs because it has enabled the person to escape the aversive stimulation in the past is referred to as sperant aggression.

Escape and Avoidance :

1) Natural reactions to aversive stimulation.

2) As the intensity of the punisher increases , so does the likelihood of escape and avoidance.

3) Can be minimized by providing alternative responses that come into contact with reinforcement and avoid the punisher.