The "P" Word

PUNISHMENT

Oh, no! What a horrible thing to talk about right? Wrong. We all contact punishment for behaviors in which we engage and each time we are punished we somehow come out unscathed. In behavior analysis, punishment simply means a stimulus that occurs immediately following a behavior that decrease the likelihood that the behavior will occur in the future.

Finally I get to share one of my stories that was part of the reason for starting this blog!

The Man's House 

Yesterday I showed you a picture of my dog Igor. Well, we live in an apartment building and do not have a backyard, so I have take Igor outside on walks to do her business every day. One day, last fall, I was walking Igor and she decided it was time to relieve her bowels in the neighbor's yard. Much to my dismay, I had forgotten to grab a plastic bag on the way out the door, so I had no way to clean up after her. So as Igor was using our neighbor's yard as her toilet, I noticed that the neighbor was sadly outside doing some yard work at that very moment. As Igor finishes her business, the man gruffly says to me "Are you going to pick that up?" I politely tell him that I forgot a bag and I will be right back with one to pick it up. He huffs and puffs about it and Igor and I promptly turn around to get a bag from the apartment building right next store. When we return to the scene of the crime he is still in his yard. He sees me clean it up and what do you think he does? Nothing, he stands there and watches me but does not say thank you or anything of the sort!

I have always been very sensitive to any sort of disapproval. When I was a child, one sideways glance was enough to punish any behavior and send me into a crying frenzy. So when this man showed his disapproval of me, even though I don't know him, he punished my behavior. To this day, I will not take Igor down the sidewalk that leads past his house, if I forgot to grab a bag when leaving the apartment.

So, thats one example from my life of punishment. I am not scarred from the occasion, although my behavior did change because of it. This story of punishment leads to many possible discussions to continue with in my next blog such as: Why do I not remember to always bring a bag with me because he punished my behavior or why will I only not go in his yard when I forget to bring a bag? We will have to tackle those questions another day though.

What about you? Can you think of any silly situations in which your behavior was punished? I would love to hear them.