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ELIMINATION OF BEHAVIOR OF MENTAL PATIENTS BY RESPONSE‐PRODUCED EXTINCTION 1
Author(s) -
Holz W. C.,
Azrin N. H.,
Ayllon T.
Publication year - 1963
Publication title -
journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1938-3711
pISSN - 0022-5002
DOI - 10.1901/jeab.1963.6-407
Subject(s) - reinforcement , punishment (psychology) , extinction (optical mineralogy) , psychology , conditioned response , escape response , audiology , social psychology , conditioning , neuroscience , medicine , chemistry , statistics , mathematics , classical conditioning , mineralogy
Mental hospital patients were conditioned to respond at a high rate. Then an attempt was made to eliminate the response by means of a mild punishment consisting of a period of time‐out from reinforcement (response‐produced extinction). When only one response was available for obtaining the reinforcement, the mild punishment was not effective in eliminating that response. When an alternative response was also made available for obtaining the reinforcement, the mild punishment was completely effective. It appears that even very mild punishment may be effective if the over‐all frequency of reinforcement can be maintained by means of an alternative unpunished response.