Application Exercise #3: Punishment

Name: Kate Morden

Student #: 10069773
Instructor: Helen Ramier
Course: Principles of Learning SOCI178
Date: Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Punisher
This specific exercise is designed to examine how punishment applies to a
common adult behaviour. In order to do this, I will consider how the behaviour of driving
faster than the posted speed limit is punished in our society. According to the text
Behaviour Modification (Martin & Pear, 2011), a punisher is a stimulus whose
presentation immediately after a behaviour causes that behaviour to decrease in
frequency. In our society, there are many punishments that one can receive for driving
faster than the posted speed limit, such as the following: speeding tickets, loss of demerit
points, court hearings, license suspension, impounded vehicle, car accidents, injury or
death, etc. The punisher that I am going to focus on for speeding is a speeding ticket.
Type of Punisher
There are many different types of punishers. These punishers are classified in the
following categories: pain-inducing punisher, reprimand, timeout, and response cost.
These categories provide a convenient way in which to organize punishment procedures.
The type of punisher that a speeding ticket represents is a response cost. This is because it
is a punisher that involves the removal of a specified amount of a reinforcer is
immediately following a behaviour.
Nine Rules of Effective Punishment
1. Immediately follows the target behaviour
A speeding ticket does not always immediately follow the target behaviour
(speeding); however, sometimes it can. For example, if a person speeds through
an intersection, is caught by photo radar, and receives a ticket in the mail a week

later, the punishment is delayed. This is known as an indirect-acting effect of

punishment, which can be ineffective. On the other hand, if a police officer
witnesses an individual speeding and pulls him/her over immediately following
the behaviour, then this rule does apply to the scenario and it is effective.
Furthermore, the effectiveness of a specific punishment depends on when it
follows the target behaviour.
2. Given every time the target behaviour occurs
An individual does not always receive a speeding ticket as a punisher from
driving faster than the posted speed limit. For example, those who speed are only
given a speeding ticket if and when the action is witnessed by a police officer.
However, because speeding isnt always seen by police officers, some individuals
manage to perform this act without facing any consequences/punishments.
Therefore, this punishment is ineffective.
3. Of sufficient intensity (strong enough) to suppress the behaviour
The more intense or strong the punishing stimulus, the more effective it will be in
decreasing the undesirable behaviour. The intensity of a speeding ticket varies
depending on how extreme the target behaviour is. For example, if an individual
exceeds the speeding limit either by far, in an area such as a school zone, or while
driving impaired, the consequences will be a lot more severe/intense. It is more
effective to select several punishers that vary over successive instances of the
undesirable behaviour.
4. The individual cannot escape the punisher

An individual may or may not escape the punisher. For example, many
individuals escape the punisher on a daily basis, as they are not seen speeding by
a police officer. Because many people are able to avoid the punisher this way, the
target behaviour continues to take place in society and therefore it is not always
effective. However, once the target behaviour is seen and a speeding ticket is
given, there is no way of escaping the punisher. For instance, if you try to avoid
paying the speeding ticket, you will face even bigger consequences, such as an
arrest warrant, court hearings, added fines, license suspension, and so on. In this
case, the punisher is more effective.
5. Alternate behaviours are specified and can be performed by the individual
When adding rules to a punishment, it will probably help to decrease the
undesirable behaviour and increase the desirable alternative behaviour more
quickly. The punishers produce greater response suppression when access to a
reinforcer for desirable alternative behaviour (manipulation of leisure materials) is
available. This makes the punisher effective.
6. Appropriate behaviours are positively reinforced
Appropriate behaviours are reinforced by verbal positive regards as well as the
result of no punishments. This part of the punishment process is effective as it
helps eliminate the undesirable behaviour and reinforce the desirable behaviour.
7. Reinforcement for inappropriate behaviours is removed or reduced
Reinforcement for inappropriate behaviours, such as speeding, is removed or
reduced. Because the delivery of the punisher is not paired with reinforcement, it
is an effective punisher.

8. Warning signals (cues) are used words

Some individuals, when caught speeding, are given a warning if the process
between the police officer runs smooth/well. In addition, another warning signal
(cue) that is used that each time an individual receives a speeding ticket, their
demerit points may or may not be affected. This can be both ineffective and
effective. For example, it could be an eye opener for one, whereas it could make
someone believe that they can get away with it the next time around.
9. The punisher is given in a calm manner
When an individual receives a speeding ticket, it is presented in a clam manner
either in person or via the mail, without any anger and frustration. A calm, matterof-fact approach helps ensure that a punishment will be followed consistently and
appropriately. Although this is not always the case, it is true for the most part.
This is effective because it helps eliminate the undesirable behaviour.