Ethical Implications of Adverse Conditioning
Ethical Implications of Aversive Conditioning
It is not usual for psychologists to give prominence to ethical issues and Skinner is no exception. However, in writing about the application of behavioral analysis to significant issues in human behavior. Skinner stresses three issues which have general ethical implications. The use of positive reinforcement, the minimization of punishment contingencies and the specification of objectives (Skinner 1953, 1971).
Aversive Conditioning is the use of unpleasant stimuli to induce behavior. It means, for example, causing pain to the subject each time he or she shows a behavior that is to be eradicated (Castro 2004). This distinction may also be applied to lower level learning, such as occurred with Pavlov’s dogs or pigeons in the Skinner box. A dog that salivates when hearing a bell is demonstrating a declarative knowledge, he knows that after the bell comes the food. A pigeon pressing a lever to get food is effectively applying procedural knowledge, it learned how to obtain food. The most important experimental result from the laboratory study of learning is that, for all kinds of learning, the process is more efficient when learning is accomplished in repeated sessions of short duration than in few sessions of long duration. Aversive procedures are used most commonly in the areas of developmental disabilities and to deal with disorders of sexual arousal such as pedophilia and exhibitionism (Repp & Singh 1990).
In the American Journal of Mental Retardation, the following guidelines for the use of aversive procedures are as follows: • Aversive procedures should be used only if the scientific literature supports their use for a specified condition. • Aversive procedures should only be used when the targeted behaviors are clearly of danger to the client or others, and there is well documented evidence that non-aversive interventions by competent practitioners have been tried and failed. • Aversive procedures should only be
It is not usual for psychologists to give prominence to ethical issues and Skinner is no exception. However, in writing about the application of behavioral analysis to significant issues in human behavior. Skinner stresses three issues which have general ethical implications. The use of positive reinforcement, the minimization of punishment contingencies and the specification of objectives (Skinner 1953, 1971).
Aversive Conditioning is the use of unpleasant stimuli to induce behavior. It means, for example, causing pain to the subject each time he or she shows a behavior that is to be eradicated (Castro 2004). This distinction may also be applied to lower level learning, such as occurred with Pavlov’s dogs or pigeons in the Skinner box. A dog that salivates when hearing a bell is demonstrating a declarative knowledge, he knows that after the bell comes the food. A pigeon pressing a lever to get food is effectively applying procedural knowledge, it learned how to obtain food. The most important experimental result from the laboratory study of learning is that, for all kinds of learning, the process is more efficient when learning is accomplished in repeated sessions of short duration than in few sessions of long duration. Aversive procedures are used most commonly in the areas of developmental disabilities and to deal with disorders of sexual arousal such as pedophilia and exhibitionism (Repp & Singh 1990).
In the American Journal of Mental Retardation, the following guidelines for the use of aversive procedures are as follows: • Aversive procedures should be used only if the scientific literature supports their use for a specified condition. • Aversive procedures should only be used when the targeted behaviors are clearly of danger to the client or others, and there is well documented evidence that non-aversive interventions by competent practitioners have been tried and failed. • Aversive procedures should only be
Cited: American Journal of Mental Retardation 1990, 95, Special Issue. Castro, Hector. Aversive Conditioning and Negative Reinforcement. The Science of Mind. 2004 Guidelines for the Use of Aversive Procedures. The Australian Psychological Society Limited. ABN 23 000 543 788 Leslie, Julian C. Ethical Implications of Behavior Modification, Historical and Current Issues. The Psychological Record, 1997 47 637-648 Repp, A. and Singh, N. Perspective’s on the use of nonaversive and aversive interventions for persons with developmental disabilities. P Eds. NY USA Skinner, B.F. Science and Human Behavior. Macmillan. 1953 NY Skinner, B.F. Beyond Freedom and Dignity. Bantam. 1971 NY