Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Punishment01:27

Punishment

284
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....
284
Operant Conditioning01:21

Operant Conditioning

1.7K
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...
1.7K
Operant Conditioning Intervention01:24

Operant Conditioning Intervention

101
Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
101
Behavior Modification01:21

Behavior Modification

217
Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
217
Reinforcement01:23

Reinforcement

310
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:
310
Law of Effect01:06

Law of Effect

1.5K
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...
1.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Contingency discrimination training and resurgence: Effects of reduced extinction session durations.

Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2025
Same author

Further assessment of a model of changeover behavior: Implications for the matching law.

Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2025
Same author

The extinction burst: Effects of alternative reinforcement magnitude.

Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2025
Same author

Further examining how animals weigh conflicting information about reward sources over time.

Animal cognition·2025
Same author

Effects of reinforcer probability on attending to element and compound sample stimuli.

Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2025
Same author

Generalization across dimensions: A model for three-alternative choice.

Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 22, 2025

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
06:11

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats

Published on: February 20, 2019

7.5K

Aversive control versus stimulus control by punishment.

Timothy A Shahan1, Gabrielle M Sutton1, Anthony N Nist1

  • 1Utah State University.

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|November 10, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Punishment

Keywords:
aversive controlpunishmentratsrenewalstimulus control

More Related Videos

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
08:05

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence

Published on: March 23, 2022

2.6K
Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
06:57

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE

Published on: May 14, 2019

10.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 22, 2025

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
06:11

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats

Published on: February 20, 2019

7.5K
A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
08:05

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence

Published on: March 23, 2022

2.6K
Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
06:57

Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE

Published on: May 14, 2019

10.6K

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral psychology
  • Animal behavior research

Background:

  • Historical views suggest punishment is less effective than reinforcement.
  • Punishment's temporary effects were attributed to indirect mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate stimulus control by punishment.
  • Re-examine the asymmetry of punishment and reinforcement.

Main Methods:

  • Rats were exposed to different schedules of food reinforcement and electric shock punishment.
  • Reinforcement was removed, and response patterns were observed across phases (P-P-N-N, P-N-P-N, N-P-N-N).

Main Results:

  • Some evidence supported shock as a discriminative stimulus for absence of reinforcement.
  • Most response changes were linked to the presence or absence of shock's aversive qualities.

Conclusions:

  • The concept of asymmetrical reinforcement and punishment processes may be flawed.
  • Assumptions about reinforcement's direct strengthening effects require reevaluation.