![]() ![]() It appears that Sidman’s opposition to the use of aversive control and, more specifically to the use of punishment, may have impacted how punishment is viewed and used by both basic and applied behavior analysts (e.g., Ahearn, 2011 Holth, 2010). This interdependence between punishment and negative reinforcement was noted by Sidman as one disadvantage of the use of coercive control, with the other being the dangerous side effects of such practices. According to Sidman (1989/ 2000), negative reinforcement and punishment work in a complementary manner because a stimulus punishing a response also should increase behavior removing or avoiding that stimulus (i.e., negative reinforcement e.g., Crosbie, 1998). His opposition to the use of coercive methods was especially clear in his book Coercion and its fallout ( Sidman, 1989/ 2000), where he referred to negative reinforcement and punishment as the two major categories of coercive control. Despite his extensive research in this area, Sidman firmly opposed the use of methods based on aversive control (i.e., coercion), advocating instead for the use of positive reinforcement ( Delprato, 1995 Sidman, 1993, 2011). Among his many contributions, Sidman’s research has had a noteworthy impact on the understanding of aversive control (e.g., Sidman, 1953a, 1953b, 1966, 1989, 2000). ![]() Murray Sidman’s exceptional scientific contributions to the field of behavior analysis are widely recognized (e.g., Ahearn, 2011 Arntzen, 2010 Holth & Moore, 2010 Johnson et al., 2020 McIlvane, 2011). In addition to being necessary for a complete account of behavior, such data and theories might contribute to improved interventions for problems of human concern. We also suggest the need for more effective formal theories of punishment that provide a principled account of how, why, and when lasting effects of punishment and its potential side effects might be expected to occur or not. We describe the need for additional research on punishment in general, and especially on its putative shortcomings and side effects. Although Sidman’s concerns are reasonable and should be considered when using any form of behavioral control, there appears to be a lack of strong empirical support for the notion that these potential problems with punishment are necessarily ubiquitous, long-lasting, or specific to punishment. This paper revisits Sidman’s arguments about these putative shortcomings and side effects by examining the available data. Among his concerns were the temporary nature of response suppression produced by punishment, the dangers of conditioned punishment, increases in escape and avoidance responses, punishment-induced aggression, and the development of countercontrol. In his book Coercion and Its Fallout Murray Sidman argued against the use of punishment based on concerns about its shortcomings and side effects.
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