ON THE STATUS OF KNOWLEDGE FOR USING PUNISHMENT: A COMMENTARY

Aversive stimuli are defined by their ability to evoke or elicit the avoidance patterns that result in the response reduction essential for defining punishment. Lerman and Vorndran provide a synthesis of basic and applied behavior-analytic research that addresses variables with direct and moderating effects on punishment. The synthesis is scholarly and systematic and provides a superb summary of our knowledge from current behavior-analytic research. The synthesis relies heavily on basic research with nonhuman subjects to identify current gaps in our research literature and outlines implications for improving our overall technology of behavior change. The major thesis is that development of a comprehensive technology of behavior change requires more detailed research on punishment with special attention to (a) knowledge about conditioned, intermittent, and delayed punishment; (b) interaction effects of reinforcement and punishment; (c) the value of functional analysis in the design of punishment interventions; and (d) greater attention to treatment failures to identify how punishment may be used more effectively in clinical interventions. There is a great deal to admire about the synthesis. The impressive integration of basic and applied behavior-analytic research and the conceptually sound organization of major themes make the synthesis important reading for anyone serious about the role of punishment in behavior analysis. The multiple implications of functional assessment and functional analysis information for guiding the use (or nonuse) of punishment are of special importance.