Once this association is created, the hope is that the behavior will then be less likely to occur.
This article discusses how punishment is used in psychology, its effects, and potential downsides.
The goal of punishment is to either reduce or stop a behavior.
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Punishment plays an important role inoperant conditioning.
Operant conditioning is a learning method that utilizes rewards and punishments to modify behavior.
While positive and negative reinforcementsincreasebehaviors, punishment focuses onreducing or eliminatingunwanted behaviors.
Prison, spanking, or scolding are a few examples that come to mind.
But punishment can also involve taking good things away, such as losing a privilege or reward.
Positive Punishment
How can punishment be positive?
Positive punishment involves presenting an aversive stimulus after a behavior has occurred.
Negative punishment involves taking away a desirable stimulus after a behavior has occurred.
Punishment vs.
Negative Reinforcement
Punishment is often mistakenly confused withnegative reinforcement.
The difference: Reinforcementincreasesthe chances that a behavior will occur and punishmentdecreasesthe chances that a behavior will occur.
Is Punishment Effective?
Prison is one example.
Serving time in prison does not necessarily serve as a deterrent to future criminal behavior.
Why does punishment seem to work in some instances but not in others?
Timing and consistency are two factors that can play a role in how effective punishment is in different situations.
For example, people often drive over the speed limit even after receiving a speeding ticket.
Because the behavior is inconsistently punished.
Disadvantages of Punishment
Punishment also has some notable drawbacks.
First, any behavior changes that result from punishment are often temporary.
In 1993, 50% of parents reported spanking their kids.
By 2017, this number had dropped to 35%.
In many cases, other methods are more effective and less harmful.
Other behavioral strategies, such as reinforcement and extinction, may be more effective in many cases.
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