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Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior logoLink to Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
. 1963 Jul;6(3):399–406. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1963.6-399

A comparison of several procedures for eliminating behavior1

W C Holz, N H Azrin
PMCID: PMC1404446  PMID: 13961497

Abstract

The pecking response of pigeons was reinforced when a minimum period of time had elapsed since the last response (DRL schedule of food-reinforcement). Punishment, satiation, extinction, and stimulus change were employed separately to reduce responding. When the effects of the four procedures were compared, punishment was found capable of producing a more immediate, complete and long lasting response reduction than the others. Punishment had its maximum effect on the responses that were least relevant to reinforcement. The punishment reduced the frequency of the short inter-response times to a greater extent than did either extinction or satiation. In this way, punishment actually increased the efficiency of the DRL responding.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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