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Related Concept Videos

Punishment01:27

Punishment

Negative reinforcement and punishment are often confused but serve distinct functions in behavior modification. Reinforcement, whether positive or negative, increases the likelihood of a desired behavior, while punishment decreases it.
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.
Operant Conditioning01:21

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning, a key concept in behavioral psychology, involves using reinforcement and punishment to alter the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. B.F. introduced this type of conditioning. Skinner focused on voluntary behaviors and the consequences that follow them, influencing whether these behaviors will be strengthened or diminished.
Reinforcement in operant conditioning can be positive or negative, both of which serve to increase the likelihood of a behavior. Positive...
The Stanford Prison Experiment03:20

The Stanford Prison Experiment

The famous and controversial Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted by social psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues at Stanford University, demonstrated the power of social roles, social norms, and scripts.
Law of Effect01:06

Law of Effect

B.F. Skinner, a prominent figure in behavioral psychology, introduced operant conditioning by emphasizing the role of consequences in shaping behavior. This theory builds upon the law of effect proposed by Edward Thorndike, which posits that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated. In contrast, those followed by unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to recur.
Edward Thorndike's foundational work involved studying learning in animals, particularly using puzzle boxes...
Reinforcement01:23

Reinforcement

Positive and negative reinforcement are key concepts in operant conditioning, a learning process where the consequences of a behavior affect the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus, increasing the frequency of that behavior. For example:
Precipitation Processes01:12

Precipitation Processes

The experimental conditions in a gravimetric analysis should be optimized to maximize the particle size and purity of the obtained precipitate. Ideally, the concentration of the precipitating reagent should be low with effective stirring to maintain low relative supersaturation for the growth of large crystals. In homogeneous precipitation, the precipitant is slowly generated by a chemical reaction in the solution to avoid local reagent excesses. For example, urea decomposes gradually to...

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Related Experiment Video

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A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
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Less crime, more punishment.

Mark Cooney1, Callie Harbin Burt

  • 1Department of Sociology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-1611, USA. mcooney@uga.edu

AJS; American Journal of Sociology
|February 21, 2009
PubMed
Summary

The frequency of deviant behavior influences punishment severity. Crimes that are more common receive milder punishments, while rarer crimes face more severe penalties.

Area of Science:

  • Sociology
  • Criminology
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • This study examines Emile Durkheim's "community of saints" thesis.
  • It investigates the relationship between the prevalence of deviant behavior and the severity of associated punishments.

Observation:

  • The authors hypothesize that punishment severity is partly predicted by the prevalence of the accused deviant behavior.
  • A negative relationship is observed, with some curvilinearity at lower prevalence levels.

Findings:

  • Empirical analysis using hierarchical regression models supports the hypothesis.
  • Data from 1988 homicide convictions and imprisonment decisions across 32 U.S. counties were used.

Implications:

  • Findings suggest that societal reactions to crime, specifically punishment, are influenced by how common the offense is.

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  • This research offers insights into the social construction of crime and punishment, potentially informing legal and policy decisions.