A 20 year review of punishment and alternative methods to treat problem behaviors in developmentally delayed persons.

Matson et al. (1989) read 382 studies from 1967 to 1987. They wanted to see how people treated severe problem behaviors in clients with developmental delays.

The team listed every treatment, side effect, and trend they could find. They did not run new experiments. They simply mapped what was already published.

Painful punishment dropped over the twenty years. Positive methods, extinction, and satiation rose.

In plain words, slapping or shocking became rare. Reinforcing other actions and withholding payoff became common.

Lydon et al. (2015) updated the same story with 368 newer studies. They kept the same trend: fewer pain-based procedures, more reinforcement.

Brosnan et al. (2011) narrowed the lens to kids aged 3-18 with aggression. They also found antecedent and reinforcement tricks now lead the pack.

Ayvaci et al. (2024) went deeper. They show that if you must use punishment, pair it with antecedent reinforcement for the best effect.

If you still reach for response-cost or over-correction first, this history check reminds you to pause. Try DRA, NCR, or extinction first. Keep punishment as a last layer, never the base coat. Your clients keep their dignity, and the data say you will still see behavior drop.