Description of the Strategy

Contingent exercise is a positive punishment procedure sometimes used to decrease problem behaviors. In positive punishment, aversive events or activities are “added” or applied contingent on the occurrence of a behavior. Aversive activities are defined as low probability behaviors that a person typically would not choose to engage in. By definition, positive punishment procedures reduce the future probability of a behavior by requiring an individual to engage in low probability behavior (aversive activity) contingent on the occurrence of a high probability behavior (problem behavior). Since many individuals attempt to avoid or escape contingent exercise, the change agent must often use another positive punishment procedure, guided compliance, to compel the person to complete the aversive activity. Other positive punishment procedures ...