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passive punishment; if that makes the concept clearer。 
3。 Positive Punishment; cell (3); is the opposite of positive reinforcement; in that this is 
presentation of a stimulus event that the organism perceives as unpleasant; and this 
presentation decreases the probability that a behavior will be repeated。 Examples of 
positive punishment include such stimulus events as giving the organism electric shock if 
it engages in a behavior that the experimenter considers undesirable。 
4。 Negative Reinforcement; cell (4); consists of removing a stimulus event that the organism 
perceives as unpleasant。 This condition permits the organism to escape from an 
unfavorable event。 
Operant Conditioning Matrix 
Pleasant Stimulus Unpleasant Stimulus 
Presented (1) Positive Reinforcement–serves to 
increase response frequency 
(3) Positive Punishment–serves to 
decrease response frequency 
Removed (2) Negative Punishment–serves to 
decrease response frequency 
(4) Negative Reinforcement–serves to 
increase response frequency 

Skinner used the Law of Effect to derive the cornerstone of Behaviorism; which states that any 
behavior can result in reinforcement or punishment。 Behavior resulting in reinforcement is more 
likely to recur; behavior resulting in punishment is less likely to recur。 Skinner’s methods are a 
specialized case of operant conditioning and his method is simpler than that used by Thorndike。 
Additionally; Skinner made a distinction between classical conditioning and operant conditioning 
that clarifies the difference between the two for many students。 Skinner said that classical 
conditioning dealt with behavior which was elicited by an external stimulus; and that the elicited 
behavior was an involuntary response (e。g。; salivation)。 He defined operant conditioning as 
behavior emitted from within the participant; in response to external stimulus; but with the criteria 
that the response was voluntary (cat pressing lever to get food)。 Skinner also developed a process 
known as shaping; which he defined as the establishment of a new response by rewarding 
successive approximations to the desired response。 He went on to define chaining; which is part of 
the process of shaping; as being the reinforcement of each response by giving the animal an 
opportunity to make the next response。 Skinner also defined what is known as the ABC’s of 
Behavior; as follows: 

ABC’s of Behavior 

A = Antecedent (the stimulus event)
B = Behavior (the behavioral response to the stimulus)
C = Consequence (the reinforcement that follows the behavior)


The consequence of a given behavior served as the determinant of the likelihood of that behavior 

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PSYCHOLOGY AND LIFE 

being repeated in the future。 Given this model; operant conditioning is as easy as your A…B…C’s! 

Behavioral Control of a Behavior Problem 

Timmy B。 was a five…year…old child of average intelligence who was a “behavior problem。” He 
screamed; fought; disobeyed; and bossed others both at home and school; despite his young age。 
His parents were concerned over his obviously undesirable behavior; which they expected to get 
even worse as he grew older。 “He continually told other children what to do and how to play; and 
enforced his demands with punches; kicks; and slaps;” they reported。 

A behavioral psychologist’s observations of Timmy’s mother’s interaction with her son revealed 
three things: 

1。 She reinforced his undesirable behavior with attention 
2。 She did not enforce consequences in a consistent fashion 
3。 She did not make the relationship between behavior and consequence clear; because she 
often used lengthy explanations before applying discipline 
The behavioral psychologists who consulted with Timmy’s mother taught her to arrange three 
types of contingencies for Timmy’s behaviors: punishment; extinction; and positive reinforcement。 

Punishment: As soon as Timmy acted aggressively or disobediently; Mrs。 B。 took him to a 
time…out room that contained no items of interest to the child。 He was told only that he 
could not stay with the others if he fought or disobeyed。 He was put in the time…out room; 
without conversation or further explanation; for a two…minute period (or two minutes from 
the end of his last cry or tantrum)。 This punishment involved the negative stimulus of loss 
of opportunity for stimulation。 It could be removed by behaving in socially acceptable 
ways。 When the time was up; Timmy was taken back to his regular activities without 
ment on the previous episode。 

Extinction: Less serious forms of undesirable behavior were ignored so that they would 
have no reinforcing consequences。 

Positive Reinforcement: Desirable behaviors such as cooperative play and following 
instructions were directly praised; and at the end of some periods of desirable play Timmy 
got a special treat。 

To demonstrate the effectiveness of mother as behavior therapist; the psychologists first observed 
Timmy’s behavior for a baseline period; and then instructed Mrs。 B。 to carry out her behavioral 
contingency management program。 This sequence was then repeated。 Timmy’s aggressive and 
disobedient behaviors were dramatically changed by manipulating their consequences。 His parents 
and neighbors mented that Timmy behaved like a “different child。” During the first baseline 
period Timmy followed only about 30 percent of instructions given to him; but a week later he was 
following three…fourths of them。 On some days; Timmy never misbehaved; even not striking back 
when another child hit him。 As Timmy’s problem behavior declined; his mother mented more 
favorably about him; she felt she was a more effective mother and showed more affection for her 
son。 

WALDEN TWO 

In Walden Two; B。 F。 Skinner presented a hypothetical munity based on behavioral principles。 
Given what we know today about behaviorism; and cognitive theory; is such a munity feasible? 
You might discuss with students some of the ideas presented in Walden Two and ask for their 
opinions about these ideas。 Are they outdated? Are they workable? Have recent gains in knowledge 
in cognitive theory and information processing made some of Skinner’s ideas obsolete? Do students 

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CHAPTER 7: LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS 

even believe that such a munity is possible? If so; how might they organize it differently than 
Skinner’s munity? (From Koss) 

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT 

Punishment and the Criminal Justice System。 Skinner and his followers identified several 
conditions that must be met for punishment to be effective。 Your text discusses three of them: it must 
be immediate; it must be consistent; and it must be sufficiently aversive but not overly aversive。 
Some other conditions that make punishment more effective are that: it should be directly related to 
the problem behavior so that it is clearly seen as a consequence of the behavior; it should be part of 
a larger process in which the reason for the punishment is clearly explained and the desirable 
behavior is clearly explained; the person should be rewarded for engaging in more desirable 
behaviors。 In examining today’s criminal justice system in the United States; how many of these 
conditions does it consistently meet? In most cases; students agree that it does not meet many of 
them; if any of them。 Perhaps this is contributes to the high recidivism rate we have in our justice 
system。 What ideas do students have to utilize skinner’s conditions and perhaps improve the 
effectiveness of the current system? 

MORE ON BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION 

Have students identify a behavior they would like to change。 Discuss behavior modification 
principles with them and have them fill out Student Activity 5。4 (behavior modification) as part of 
developing a plan to modify the behavior they identified。 It is important to review the qualities of a 
good goal (i。e。 it is specific; it is behavioral; it is quantifiable; it is reasonably attainable)。 And since 
choosing an effective reward is crucial to making a plan such as this work; review the qualities of a 
good reward (i。e。 it should be something they really want; but can live without; in case they fail to 
achieve their sub goals; it should be something they have plete control over)。 This can be a 
useful demonstration of behavior modification as well as an activity that can really improve the 
quality of some students’ lives。 

BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILES 

Albert Bandura (b。 1925) 

When Daddy spanks Johnny for misbehaving; he may inadvertently be providing Johnny with a 
model of aggressive behavior that Johnny will incorporate into his own pattern of behavior。 This 
discovery is only one of the important observations that Albert Bandura has brought to the 
attention of psychologists and sociologists in recent years。 

Graduating from the University of British Columbia in 1949 at the age of 24; Bandura went on to 
earn his doctorate in clinical psychology at the State University of Iowa in 1952。 There; under the 
guidance of Kenneth Spence; who also served as mentor to Neal Miller and John Dollard; Bandura 
realized the need for more careful examination of the behavior modification process as it unfolds 
during psychotherapy。 He drew from Hullian learning theory; Skinnerian behaviorism; and the 
current theories of modeling and imitation to formulate his own groundbreaking social learning 
theory—behavior modification broadened to a socially oriented context。 

Bandura began his studies of aggression with children as participants。 In the course of his 
experiments; he discovered that the kinds of behavior exhibited by parents and the attitudes they 
expressed toward aggression were vital in determining their children’s behavior。 The implications 
of his results were enormous; evoking concern among psychologists and the public over the impact 
that excessive violence on television and other media was having on impressionable young minds。 

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PSYCHOLOGY AND LIFE 

Bandura synthesized these and other research results in Principles of Behavior Modification; 
published in 1969。 An important and precisely written book; it challenged Skinner’s contention 
that mental processes should not be considered in a science of behavior。 Bandura’s work won him 
a Guggenheim Fellowship and election as president of the American Psychological Association in 

1974。 A significant product of his fellowship was his classic text; Aggression: A Social Learning 
Analysis。 

One of those individuals who is truly happy only when engaged in a number of projects 
simultaneously; Bandura is currently conducting research at several different levels。 On a broad 
theoretical level; he is studying the development of self…efficacy and the relationship between 
people’s moral codes and principles and conduct。 On a more practical level; he is developing the 
use of modeling as an essential ingredient of psychotherapy。 Bandura published a pendium of 

his research and thinking; Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory; in 
1986。 

Konrad Lorenz (b。 1903) 

Lorenz obtained his M。D。 in 1928 and Ph。D。 in 1933 from the Anatom

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