The Facts About Punishment
S.G. Friedman, PhD, Utah, and Bobbi Brinker, Ohio
© S.G. Friedman. All Rights Reserved
Published
in Original Flying Machine, Issue 4: Jan/Feb 2001
Nowadays,
the issue of punishment has become an emotional minefield of misconceptions,
good intentions, and general confusion. And this is the good news. We would be
loath to return to a time when the use of punishment was unquestioned and was
the most common, if not sole, strategy for changing undesirable behavior. A
large part of the present confusion results from the perennial gap between
research and practice. However, the negative effects of some forms of
punishment have been studied scientifically and are well documented. These
studies reveal compelling information about the detriments of punishment that
no parrot guardian should be without.
Another
problem is that punishment is what most of us do best ... or at least first. It
is our teaching legacy passed down from generation to generation. We are
virtually surrounded by punishing strategies used to influence our behavior:
From overdue library books to dogs without licenses; fines, penalties and
reprimands whirl around us like leaves in a storm. For many of us, to give up
punishment as our primary tool with which to influence negative behavior is to
leave us empty handed. With this article, we hope to narrow the gap between the
research and practice of punishment as it applies to companion parrots and
provide the relevant information you need to base your choice of teaching strategies
on facts rather than cultural inheritance.
A
Functional Definition
It
is often repeated that parrots don't respond to punishment. This misconception
results from using the term too loosely in ways that describe the upset
emotional state of the person delivering the punishment rather than its result
on the bird's behavior. It is true that parrots do not respond to rage,
retribution or retaliation. Although these negative consequences may be
punishing to some of us, our pets will not understand such complex
interpersonal humanisms. A clear, functional definition of punishment is needed
to correct common misconceptions and enable us to measure the efficacy of our
teaching strategies. From this perspective, science provides a more useful
definition than Webster does: Simply and precisely, punishment is a consequence
delivered after a behavior that serves to reduce the frequency or intensity
with which the behavior is exhibited.
There
are two very important points to make about this definition: First, the
effectiveness of any particular punishment is a highly individual matter. The
proof of effectiveness is in the resulting behavior. A consequence that is
punishing to one individual (i.e., that reduces a behavior) may actually be
reinforcing (i.e., maintains or increases a behavior) to a different
individual. Therefore, we can make an informed guess about what may be an
effective punishment, but we can't know for sure until we see what happens to
the frequency of the behavior it follows. Shouting at a screaming bird is a
good example of a consequence that is intended to be a punishment, but, as
evidenced by the increased screaming of many birds, it is often a very
effective reward.
This
brings us to the second point needing clarification: Punishment is not one
single strategy but a collection of strategies that exist on a continuum from
very mild to highly aversive approaches. Given our definition of punishment as
a behavior-reducing technique, it is important to understand the nature of this
continuum because there are some strategies on the very mild end that can be
conditionally recommended with certain birds or for certain behaviors.
Strategies
for Reducing Behavior
One
mild form of punishment is to withdraw or remove something
desirable, such as our
hand or shoulder for perching. Many people have successfully reduced their
birds'"beaky" behavior with this strategy, including watchband
nibbling, earring snatching and shirt button cracking. Each and every time the
bird engages in such behaviors, immediately but calmly and gently set him down
for just a few seconds, then cheerfully offer him another opportunity to perch
on your hand. With just a few repeated trials, most birds make the connection
between the offensive behavior and being set down and they choose to stay put
on your terms. No anger, frustration or rough handling is needed; only
immediacy, removal, and a subsequent opportunity to do it right.
Removing
a bird from your hand for beaky behavior is also a good example of how the
effectiveness of a particular strategy varies from individual to individual.
Some birds do not want to be handled. For them, the consequence of being set
down would be reinforcing as evidenced by their continued or increased beaky
behaviors.
Another
example of mild punishment is to ignore a particular behavior, meaning to withhold
attention for a behavior that has been previously given attention. Ignoring is not as easy as it
sounds, but it is very effective when matched to the appropriate behavior and
executed well. Here's the critical scientific fact about ignoring that you need
to know: The first reaction most birds have to being ignored is to increase the
frequency or intensity of the negative behavior. If your nerves wear thin and
you stop ignoring during this predictable but temporary burst of behavior, you
will reinforce it at this new higher frequency or intensity! Alternatively, if
you maintain stalwart ignoring and do not waiver, the behavior will eventually
decrease.
Ignoring
problem behavior is only effective for those behaviors that are being
maintained because of our attention and for those behaviors that can be completely
and totally ignored.
Some behaviors cannot or should not be ignored. Biting is a case in point.
Although it is often recommended that to reduce biting, one should simply buck
up and ignore it, this is not a practical strategy. Minimizing one's reaction
is certainly a good idea but it is darn near impossible to maintain the
composure of a stone while being pinched with the vice-like beak of the average
parrot. Also, it is likely that many birds find the tactile sensations
associated with biting inherently reinforcing, quite aside from our reactions.
Indeed the only reliable way to teach a parrot not to bite is to not give him
the opportunity to do so in the first place. Of course, self-injurious or
otherwise dangerous behaviors need to be dealt with using strategies other than
ignoring, as well.
When
using mild punishment, ensure that the ratio of positive interactions to
negative interaction is high. In an environment rich with praise and attention,
mild methods to reduce behavior such as ignoring can be effective without
apparent negative side effects. Nonetheless, not all of us are good ignorers or
can ignore all types of behavior. And, some people find it too difficult to use
the removal/withdrawal strategy with absolute consistency. Know your personal
limitations and choose your teaching strategies to ensure success.
At
the other end of the punishment continuum is the presentation or
delivery of aversive consequences.
Unfortunately, the list of examples of this form of punishment is long and too
familiar. Aversive punishment includes consequences such as shaking your hand
to unseat a bird's balance, squirting water at a bird from a spray bottle,
throwing things at a bird or his cage, dropping a bird on the floor, shutting a
bird in a closet, covering a bird for extended periods during non-sleep time,
knocking a bird off his perch, forcing a bird to rapidly and repeatedly step
from one hand to another, blowing in a birds face, shouting, hitting, and
plucking out feathers.
Some
people argue for the use of aversive punishment on the basis of its
effectiveness; however, serious problems are likely to arise from the use of
aversive strategies even in cases of short-term or narrowly defined success.
For reasons explained below, no form of punishment that includes the
presentation of aversive consequences should be used with companion parrots at
anytime ... ever. It is not only unnecessary but also harmful. If you apply
only one fact about punishment to teaching your parrot, let this be the one.
Problems with Mild Punishment
The
use of even mild forms of punishment warrants careful deliberation and
thoughtful planning. First, you should consider the nature of the behavior you hope to teach
your bird to exhibit less often. It is not reasonable to try to eliminate
natural behaviors such as the infamous cockatoo dawn greeting ceremony, those
frustrating food-tossing marathon events or the hungry shark transformation
that otherwise sweet birds exhibit when you dare to put your hand in their
cages. With a little creativity, the responsibility for accommodating
frustrating or annoying natural behaviors rests quite comfortably on human
shoulders. Perhaps you can take your shower while your bird welcomes the day;
special cups and cage aprons go a long way to reduce the mess caused by natural
food- tossing behavior; and feathered sharks can be peaceably removed from
their cages on perching sticks and returned to their feathered angel states
once they are outside of their cages.
Second,
carefully consider the probable cause of the problem behavior: Very
often, the behavior driving you crazy is a legitimate expression of unmet
needs. When this happens, the appropriate strategy is to meet the bird's needs
rather than treating the communication as a problem behavior. For example,
birds do not typically scream incessantly when they are well nourished,
appropriately housed, provided ample time out of their cages, engaged in
independent play, and offered daily, focused time with family members.
Finally,
consider how to change
the behavior. If there is a positive alternative strategy to even mild
punishment (and in our experience there most often is), use it. Positive teaching
strategies have all sorts of positive spin-offs and none of the detriments of
punishment. Positives spin-offs for your bird include the opportunity to learn
to do something more not less, to learn new behaviors rather than unlearn old
ones, to live in an environment saturated with praise, and to increase
confidence that only good things happen in the presence of humans – a requisite
for trust. There are many highly effective alternatives to punishment. Teaching
acceptable replacement behaviors or teaching behaviors that are incompatible
with the negative behavior are two examples well worth learning about.
In
short, we suggest that you answer the following three questions before using
mild punishment with your parrot: 1. Is it unreasonable or inappropriate to
expect a bird to stop behaving in this way? 2. Is the negative behavior a
result of an unmet need? 3. Is there a positive teaching strategy that can be
used instead of punishment? If the answer to any of these questions is yes,
look for ways to change your expectations, meet your bird's needs, and/or use a
positive teaching strategy to help you and your bird become the best possible
companions for the long-run.
Unacceptable
Side Effects of Aversive Punishment
Research
on the effects of aversive punishment is not new nor has it been narrowly
investigated. On the contrary, this research spans many decades and has been
replicated with many different species of animals, including humans. Although
there is some variability in the way researchers describe their results, the
fact is there is a pattern of negative reactions or"side effects"
that are consistently observed in many subjects who have been punished with
aversive consequences.
The
first predictable side effect is a sustained effort to escape the
punishing situation. If
escape is blocked, as with our caged and clipped companion parrots, the animal
may 1. Withdraw from further interaction, 2. Suppress responding, 3. Escalate
or counter aggression, and/or 4. Over-generalize fear, often to the point of
phobia.
For
most of us, these side effects are painful to read about no less observe, in
our beloved parrots. Sadly, many of us have known or heard about birds that
have withdrawn by refusing opportunities to come out of their cages. These poor
souls cower dismally in the corners of their cages for hours on end. Other
birds may suppress responding to the most basic activities. They can refuse to
step up or even stop eating. It is not unheard of for birds to attack their
owners or become fearful of people and things that never caused them any direct
harm.
Based
on these scientific facts, there is no justification for using aversive
punishment with our birds. There are no long-term benefits, and the costs are
grave. Ironically, it is the short-term effect of punishment that keeps so many
of us using it. Every time an animal responds to punishment by doing something
less often, the person who delivered the punishment is rewarded. For example,
if your parrot stops chewing the windowsill when you throw a shoe at him,
chances are you will throw shoes more often. This presents a significant
obstacle to reducing our use of punishment to influence behavior and is worthy
of introspection.
The
Commitment to Change
Whatever
we call ourselves in reference to our parrots, be it pet owner, caretaker,
parent or guardian, we are all teachers in the most fundamental sense. Each and
every moment spent with our birds is a moment that teaches them something about
living with humans. In the perpetual role of teacher, we should borrow the
physicians' guiding principle: First do no harm. We have learned from years of
empirical study over hundreds of scientific experiments that in fact aversive
punishment does do harm. We
have also learned that even mild forms of punishment should be used cautiously
and knowledgeably.
The
individual nature, age, species and history of any particular bird add another
level of complexity to choosing the best practices for our parrots. Some birds,
those that are confident, bold and trusting, can be resilient to some
punishment techniques. In other words, we may well get away with lesser
teaching strategies with some birds under some conditions that would be
detrimental to others. However, experience has shown that very young birds,
re-homed birds, and birds with existing medical and/or behavioral problems are
especially vulnerable to the adverse responses associated with punishment.
There
will always be many unknowns about behavior; there will always be important
variables that are out of our control. Behavior is just too complex for
simplistic cookbook approaches to mentoring our birds where we look up problem
behaviors in a table of contents and follow behavioral recipes. Each situation
is unique and requires careful analysis and informed consideration.
Facilitating well-adjusted, independent, confident companion parrots through
the use of positive teaching techniques is more than just a commitment to
learning new strategies; it is also a commitment to changing our legacy. The
time for such change is now.