During childhood, we perhaps used empirically, different strategies toachieve a modification in the child’s behaviorin order to correct inappropriate behaviorswithin the family and in the social environment, one of them beingnegative punishment.
In the following article, we explain whatnegative punishment consists of, what its characteristics are and we mention how it is applied.
What is negative punishment?
The term negative punishment refers in the psychology ofB. Skinner(1) to theabsence or withdrawal of a pleasant stimuluswhen inappropriate behavior is performed. It is a technique used inthe learning process ofoperantandinstrumental conditioning, in order to modify a behavior. (2)
To clarify terms, we must know that negative punishment is different frompositive reinforcement, wheresomething pleasant is given to the subject. Likewise, a distinction must be made withnegative reinforcement, wheresomething unpleasant is removedfrom the individual.
Asa reinforcement to the strategy of negative punishment, it is advisable to inform the child about the consequencesthat his unwanted behavior can cause.
You should know: Positive and negative punishment carry the same purposebut differ in the presentation and withdrawal of the stimulus to be used.
What are the techniques of negative punishment?
The strategy of negative punishmenthas two techniques, which we describe below:
1. Time out
Time-out consistsof eliminating for a period of time (for example, between 5-15 minutes) the possibility ofaccess to positive reinforcers (anything that pleases the child), placing him in a separate place.
It can also be applied in a way, in which we are the ones who leave the scene after the child’s inappropriate behavior.
To highlight: Some studies have indicated that there is no empirical uniformity in the application of this procedure by parents, so it Can lead to drawbacks in the final result . (3)
2. Response cost
The response cost consists of withdrawing a positive reinforcer or reward, when inappropriate behavior occurs and must be reasonable. (4)
Note: The timeout or response cost must be taken immediately after or as close to the occurrence of the child’s behavior.
How to apply negative punishment?
Below we give you a brief explanation of What are the guidelines that you must take into account when applying the negative punishment:
1. Reserve it for inappropriate behaviors that are not constant
The decision to use negative punishment should be reserved for inappropriate behaviors that do not occur continuously, for example, in those cases where the child is very restless or suffers from hyperactivity and cannot be calm for a period of time that is estimated. in the continuous 10 minutes.
In this case, the punishment would be of no use and additionally it is demotivating.
2. Execute it immediately after the conduct carried out
In order to achieve an effect in the modification of the behavior that is wanted in the child, the negative punishment that is applied, be it time out or the response cost, must be carried out immediately when the offense occurs, because if it is carried out some time later , the effect will be lost and the child will think that the mistake was forgiven.
3. Avoid shouting and disturbances
One of the guidelines for the application of punishment is that it must be done calmly and deliberately, since by doing it with shouts and reproaches, we will be practicing punishment in a traditional way and not in the form of time out or response cost.
Important: It is appropriate to give the child all the information about the rules and the behavior modification that is expected of him, before beginning to apply the procedure.
4. Maintain a ratio between punishment and misconduct
In this there must be a correlation between the offense committed and the punishment applied,, for example, it would be disproportionate to lock a child in his room all afternoon for having left a toy in a place that does not correspond.
5. Apply realistic punishments and be consistent
The punishments must be applied according to the reality in which the faults occur,since they will not have any effect. For example, the fact of punishing a child by not eating sweets and leaving himout of the reach of our supervision in a neighbor’s or relative’s house, will not make sense or have any effect.
Key Findings
- Negative punishment consists of the absence or withdrawal of a pleasant stimulus when an inappropriate behavior is performed.
- The purpose of this strategy is to modify the inappropriate behavior of the individual.
- This strategy is used by operant conditioning in learning processes.
- This learning strategy uses two techniques: time out and response cost.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.