Punishment as a form of behaviour modification Essay -- essays researc

Introduction Punishment is a process through which â€Å"the consequence of a response decreases the likelihood that the response will recur† (Gray, 2002, pp.115). Further, punishment can be seen as an effort to decrease the response rate to stimuli by either removing a desired stimulus or presenting one which is undesired (Gray, 2002). Recent studies suggest that punishment can be an effective method of behaviour modification. However, as reported in Lerman and Vorndran (2002), there are a number of limitations to punishment as an intervention and subsequent negative side effects. For this reason, certain principles upon which the implementation of a successful punishment is dependent must be adhered to. In accordance to these findings, this essay will contend that whilst there are alternative means to operant conditioning, certain punishment techniques have been proven to be effectual and in some aspects advantageous. The effectiveness of punishment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Punishment is one of the most used, but least understood and badly administered, aspects of learning† (Luthans, 1977, pp.300). As mentioned earlier, punishment is anything which weakens behaviour and tends to decrease it in subsequent frequency. Positive punishment is the method of administering negative consequences upon the occurrence of an action whereas Negative punishment involves the termination of positive consequences. In order to work, either case must weaken and decrease the behaviour which preceded the application or withdrawal of the stimuli. Skinner (1953) stipulated that we must defy the urge to label a form of stimuli as â€Å"desired† or â€Å"undesired† as a whole but rather to identify them by their effect on the observed subject. Whether punishment is effective depends on the criteria applied or the objectives to be achieved. That is, before we can say it is useful we must ask whether we desire an immediate or a lasting effect, and at how high a cost. There is some evidence to suggest that when punishment is administered in the form of aversive stimulation, it acts to suppress behaviour temporarily. When it is withdrawn, the punished behaviour rapidly gains strength. If the punishment is more severe and given consistently, it may act to suppress behaviour for a longer period of time (Skinner, 1953). Historically, the efficacy of punishment has been appreciated only in the pa... ... determine its utility (Lerman & Vorndran, 2002). Ultimately, â€Å"if punishment is necessary, it should always be used in combination with positive reinforcement† (Luthans, 1977, p.517). References: Blackham, G.J., & Silberman, A. (1971). Modification of Child Behaviour. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc. Browning, R.M., & Stover, D.O. (1971). Behaviour Modification in Child Treatment. Chicago: Aldine–Atherton, Inc. Gray, P. (2002). Psychology (4th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers. Lerman, D. C., & Vorndran, C. M. (2002). On the status of knowledge for using punishment: Implications for treating behavior disorders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 431-464. Lieberman, D. A. (2000). Learning, Behavior and Cognition (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. [Chapter 7] Luthans, F. (1977). Organizational Behaviour. United States of America: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Sanson, A., Montgomery, B., Gault, U., Gridley, H., & Thomson, D. (1996). Punishment and behaviour change: An Australian Psychology Society position paper. Australian Psychologist, 31, 157-165. Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behaviour. New York: Macmillan Co.

Harold Hieth’s Rifles for Watie: A Review Essay

1 Jeff enlists in the union army. â€Å"If by a miracle, a general war could be avoided, soldiers were still needed to halt guerrilla warfare in Kansas, brought by the Missourian proslavery faction across the border, Jeff’s dearest wish was to become a soldier.† (Jeff) 2 Jeff chooses this side because he heard Abraham Lincoln give a speech that convinced him that the south was wrong. 3 The incident that occurs is Jeff’s family is attacked by bushwhackers. â€Å"And I’m tired of fighting them with just a sickle, Pa. I want to go to fort Leavenworth tomorrow and join the Kansas volunteers.† (Jeff) 4 Nouns- soldier, hero, Kansas, brother, unioner. Adjectives- loyal, strong, eager, fearless, good. Verbs- fights, works, enjoys. 5 The reasons are, John wants to see the world and David, like Jeff, simply wants to be a soldier. 6 David receives anger from his mother and she will not let him stay. â€Å"That’s what you’ve always wanted, so go on now back to the army.† (David’s mother) 7 One hard lesson is how quickly you can get hurt in the army, like Ford Ivey. â€Å"I don’t wanta live if I hafta be a hopeless cripple for life!† (Ford p.71). Another hard lesson is what secrets can lead to. Such as Clardy killing sparrow because of a secret. â€Å"If I hadn’t gotten mad and deviled the captain about the widows murder poor sparrow might still be alive today.† (Jeff, p.76) 8 Jeff is upset because Clardy has just set Jeff up to be arrested, then gave him a harsh punishment 9 The Missouri woods reminded him of his mother’s brilliantly colored rag rug that lay on the split log floor beside her bed, back in Linn County. The blackjack seedlings seemed a flame in the genial sunshine. The young oaks glowed in livid. The oaks couldn’t seem to agree on an appropriate color; some wore a subdued foliage of and pale, others were gay in and bright. A cardinal flew leisurely out of a tall, sweet gum, and Jeff thought at first it was a falling leaf. Dixie trotted along contentedly at his side. 10 When the union officers reach the Washbourne home, Clardy treats them rudely. However Jeff’s kind and helpful treatment earns him a meal. â€Å"Supper for us or must I burn down your house and set an example to the rest of this yappy Indian town?† (Clardy p.114) 11 The purpose of the propaganda was to inspire the troops to dislike the rebels. â€Å"If each man of you what I have here urged upon you, we will entirely destroy them.† (Noah p.126) 12 The ‘treatment’ is, the boys line up and walk past Clardy, each saluting. The line goes on for so long that eventually Clardy can barley lift his arm. 13 Lucy| Jeff | â€Å"Slavery and preservation of the union, have very little to do with the Cherokee nation.† (Lucy,p.171) | Jeff says the war is fought to reunite the north and south together.| Lucy thinks there should be slavery in the west if the territories agree to it.| The declaration of independence states that all men are created equal. | 14 The grandmother hates to see spring come because she knows that bushwhackers come with it. 15 Jeff arranges for Lee Washbourne’s body to be sent to his family. He pays for someone to take it back he also is angry with captain Clardy and refuses to replace a fallen gunman. â€Å"A hot bitter rage at Clardy flared in Jeff. (Jeff) 16 Jim fills his canteen with union coffee which is easily recognized and could get them caught. 17 It is unusual because the conditions in the army were harsh, many people deserted. 18 â€Å"They had to learn to sing, dance, play the piano, ride horseback, read the classics, and flirt with boys without seeming immodest.† (Jeff) 19 Jeff knows spring is coming because everything is starting to turn green. â€Å"Already the burr oaks were wearing light green tassels and the red buds purplish blooms brightened the hillside and valleys.† (Jeff) Jeff can also smell the spring flowers. 20 Heifer tells Jeff to treat everyone nicely, but to always keep his gun insight. 21 I agree with this advice because in war you never know who might turn out to be your enemy. 22 The hound has outrun its owners and it takes a liking to Jeff. â€Å"Apparently, the hound had outrun its handlers.† (Jeff) 23 â€Å"And during his service with the south he had been both cavallary man and a teamster.† (Jeff) 24 The author is trying to show that Jeff will miss the army but is ready to start a new chapter in his life.

The Christianity Of Modern Homosexuality - 1432 Words

Romans is one of the places that modern homosexuality shows up within the bible. This is to say that the writer Paul had no idea of the modern term used today to describe homo eroticism. The bible clearly states, â€Å"Therefore, God gave up them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason, God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts†¦show more content†¦144). This quote exemplifies what Paul was trying to reverse or change. It could be said that he is not writing against homosexuality, where the term was not even invented, he is writing to change the current culture. The culture that he is trying to change puts certain people in groups that, with only one group being the best. Paul is trying to get rid of the stigma were there were only two categories. The passive role or â€Å"unman† would be someone not born a Roman, women, and slaves. The other words that would be associated with this role in society or anyone who would be penetrated, soft and passive. This could be in the case of when the Roman â€Å"man† penetrated the Persian soldier, this could be taken that person’s masculinity away from them. No longer was the impenetrable man the emasculated soldier was now a penetrable â€Å"unman†. This could also be extended to all the acts against convention and nature. This thinking would be especially female to female interactions, because then who would be the dominate, or penetrator, in this case, there would not be one. Pseudo-Phocylides states that â€Å"Women are not intrinsically equipped—not anatomically equipped, that is –to display these â€Å"natural† relations of dominance of social hierarchy, in the sexual act† (Pg. 145). In this society, this would be clearly again st theShow MoreRelatedThe Shape of Practical Theology638 Words   |  3 Pagesconsiders a new approach to modern Christianity. Anderson believes that the modern church is plagued by a significant divide between theology and practical Christianity. Many churches approach these two aspects of religion as if they are separate, rather the practical sides of Christianity lacking. Therefore, Andersons goal in the book is to relate modern practical Christianity directly to theology. 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