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Punishment and its putative fallout: A reappraisal
Rafaela M Fontes1, Timothy A Shahan1
1Utah State University.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|December 7, 2020
Summary
This study examines Murray Sidman's concerns about punishment in behavioral control. While his arguments are valid, current data suggests potential negative side effects of punishment are not always widespread or long-lasting.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Applied Behavior Analysis
Background:
- Murray Sidman's "Coercion and Its Fallout" critically examined punishment.
- Sidman raised concerns about punishment's effectiveness and side effects, including temporary suppression, conditioned punishment, escape/avoidance, aggression, and countercontrol.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate Sidman's arguments on punishment's shortcomings and side effects.
- To assess the empirical support for the ubiquity and severity of these negative consequences.
- To identify needs for future research and theoretical development in the study of punishment.
Main Methods:
- Review and analysis of existing empirical data on punishment.
- Examination of the evidence supporting or refuting Sidman's claims.
- Literature synthesis to identify gaps in current understanding.
Main Results:
- Empirical data does not consistently support the claim that punishment's negative side effects are always ubiquitous, long-lasting, or exclusive to punishment.
- Sidman's concerns, while valid, may not be universally applicable in all contexts.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the conditions under which these effects occur.
Conclusions:
- The purported negative side effects of punishment may not be as inherent or widespread as previously suggested.
- There is a need for more robust empirical research on punishment and its consequences.
- Development of more comprehensive theories of punishment is required to predict its effects and side effects accurately.
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