Chapter+16+Punishment+by+Prevention+ANSWERS

** Punishment by Prevention ** ** ANSWERS **
 * Chapter 16 **
 * 1.)** Please write the definitions for **punishment by prevention of the presentation of a reinforcer** and **differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO)**


 * ANSWER:**
 * Punishment by prevention of the presentation of a reinforcer -** The immediate, response-contingent prevention of a reinforcer resulting in a decreased frequency of that response
 * Differential reinforcement of other behavior -** A reinforcer is presented after a fixed interval of time if the response of interest has not occurred during that interval


 * 2.)** Punishment by prevention of presentation of a reinforcer versus DRO


 * a.)** Why is it better to use the label of punishment by prevention of presentation of a reinforcer than DRO?


 * ANSWER:** **DRO** and punishment by prevention are the **same procedure** that produce the same results. It is in the **explanation** that DRO falls short because it discusses reinforcing **non-behavior**. As long as the individual does not make the undesired response, he or she will receive a reinforcer. It would seem that this fails the dead-man test, but by definition, DRO requires at least some behavior to occur (because it specifies “other behavior”). However, in practice, the category of “other behavior” is so broad that it is essentially the “absence of the target behavior” that is being reinforced.
 * Punishment by prevention** of presentation of a reinforcer is a more appropriate label because it focuses on the occurrence of a **specific** behavior (namely, the behavior whose frequency is decreasing).
 * Same procedure; different explanations
 * DRO explains reinforcing non-behavior (dead-man) or 'other behavior' (too broad)
 * Punishment by prevention punishes a **specific** behavior


 * b.)** Provide an example of DRO and an opposite interpretation of that same example as punishment by prevention of a reinforcer.


 * ANSWER:**
 * DRO-**
 * Punishment by prevention-**




 * c.)** Using the examples that you have provided, please explain why DRO is insufficient in accurately describing the contingency that is controlling behavior.


 * ANSWER:** In analyzing this situation as **DRO**, any behavior **except** screaming (including the absence of behavior) is reinforced. This does not describe a specific response. So the child could do anything, perhaps even tantrum in other ways such as destroying property, and the child’s behavior would be reinforced by being given the toy. Analyzing this situation as an example of **punishment by prevention** of a reinforcer better illustrates the contingency in which the **specific** action of “screaming” is punished. So punishment by prevention only focuses on the decreasing frequency of screaming while DRO (since it uses reinforcement) focuses on the increased frequency of all behaviors except for screaming, even when the other behavior is inappropriate.
 * DRO reinforces all behavior EXCEPT screaming
 * Punishment by prevention punishes the specific behavior of screaming
 * DRO works to increase all behaviors except screaming
 * Punishment by prevention works to decrease screaming


 * 2.)** Punishment by prevention of the presentation of a reinforcer versus punishment by the removal of a reinforcer (penalty).


 * a.)** Compare and Contrast


 * ANSWER:**
 * **Similarities:** Both contingencies result in the decrease of the frequency of behavior. Also, in both contingencies, the outcome is that the organism performing the behavior does not have the reinforcer.
 * **Crucial Difference:** During the **punishment by prevention** contingency, the organism **never had** the reinforcer in the first place (in the before condition), and the **prevention** of presentation of the reinforcer is response-contingent. In the **penalty** contingency (punishment by the removal of a reinforcer), the organism **did have** the reinforcer to begin with, but **removal** was response contingent.
 * b.)** Provide two examples from the Skinner box illustrating each of these two contingencies.


 * ANSWER:**
 * PENALTY-**
 * PUNISHMENT BY PREVENTION-**
 * c.)** Using the examples that you have provided, please compare and contrast the two contingencies using the terminology that you had provided in your answer to 2a.


 * ANSWER:** In **both** contingencies the **food** is not present in the after condition. In punishment by prevention the rat does not have access to the food before the response occurs and access to the food is prevented contingent upon the lever press. In Penalty the rat does have access to the food before the response occurs and the food's removal is contingent upon the lever press.
 * Both result in no food after lever press.
 * In penalty, food is present in before condition and removed contingent on lever press.
 * In punishment by prevention, food is no present in before condition and is prevented contingent on lever press.