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rol include such issues as the
development of a generally negative attitude toward school or learning, avoidance of the teacher,
truancy, blind obedience to authority, vandalism, and learning to use violence against younger or
weaker students.
In addition, punishment may be counterproductive. In a study of the spontaneous use of
punishment by teachers, two children from each of five classes were observed for a four-month
period. These children had a high frequency of classroom behavior for which their teachers
reprimanded them loudly in the presence of the class. The reprimands were not effective in
reducing the frequency of the disruptive behavior. During phase 2 of the study, teachers were asked
to switch to “soft” reprimands, audible only to the child being reprimanded. In almost all cases,
disruptive behavior decreased when soft reprimands were used.
In phase 3 of the above study, when loud reprimands were reinstated, there was an increase in
frequency of disruptive behavior. In phase 4, to demonstrate convincingly the counter productivity
of loud, public reprimands and the effectiveness of soft ones, soft personal ones were again used by
the teachers. Disruptive behavior declined in virtually all cases where the teacher used a soft,
personal reprimand intended only for the ears of the relevant student, rather than a public
pronouncement to the student’s peers (O’Leary, Kaufman, Kass, & Drabran, 1970).
There are many alternatives to the use of physical punishment in the classroom. “Time-out rooms”
and denial of class privileges can be effective aversive control tactics. Private conferences with
“disruptive” students can also be used effectively. Class discussion of acceptable and unacceptable
behaviors and shared responsibility for discipline help create a democratic class atmosphere. In
addition, more interesting curricula and better preparation for teachers in managing children with
the use of positive incentives and reinforcements can be used to reduce the need for punishment.
Operant Conditioning the Easy Way
Many students have difficulty in understanding the difference between punishment and
reinforcement, as defined by operant conditioning. Students often believe that the term “negative”
must be unpleasant, whether concerning negative reinforcement or negative punishment.
To understand operant conditioning, students must first understand the “Law of Effect”, which
states that those behaviors followed by a positive outcome are more likely to be repeated and that
behaviors followed by a negative outcome are less likely to be repeated. Specifically, the Law states
that the consequences of a behavior change the likelihood of engaging in that behavior in the future.
This idea emphasizes the pragmatic adaptability of behavior.
1. Positive Reinforcement, cell (1), means giving or presenting of something favorable,
something that the organism perceives as pleasant. This stimulus can be food, water,
access to sexual partners, etc.
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CHAPTER 7: LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
2. Negative Punishment, cell (2), refers to weakening of a response by the omission, or removal
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