Welcome to the second in this series of short articles about training terminology. If you missed the first installment you can find it here.
All of the definitions used in this series are taken from “Learning and Behavior” by Paul Chance. Anyone who is interested in getting good solid information about behavior science should seriously consider purchasing a copy of this book.
Let’s take a look at one of the most emotive of all the behavior science terms and one that is probably the most misunderstood and sadly among the most common of strategies used for behavior change in our society.
Punishment
The procedure of providing consequences for a behavior that reduce the strength of that behavior.
Learning and Behavior, Paul Chance.
Once again, like reinforcement, punishment is a procedure and not a tangible object or thing. It is the process of applying or removing a stimulus immediately after a behavior and observing that behavior reduce in strength or frequency in the future. What punishment is not is something the bird deserved or “had coming.” There is no judgment involved in punishment from the behavior perspective.
I have seen it written that if behavior reduces then punishment must be the procedure being used. This is not absolutely true and in a future article we will discover other procedures that while they may reduce a behavior they do not involve the use of punishment.
It is worth noting here that using punishment is a strategy that brings a number of unwanted side effects. These side effects not only undermine the relationship between bird and caregiver they also may have profound effects upon the bird and its future behavior. In our hierarchy of choices of strategies for behavior change punishment falls well below reinforcement.
I hope you enjoy these short articles, if you have a term that you find confusing or would simply like better defined and explained please feel free to email me.
Sid.