Skeptic's Corner: Punishment - Destructive Force or Valuable Social "Adhesive"?
Even sacred ABA ideas like “punishment = social glue” need fresh eyes and fresh data.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The author wrote a short think-piece, not an experiment.
He asked: do we really know punishment is a social glue, or do we just repeat the claim?
He poked holes in old textbook arguments and told readers to stay skeptical.
What they found
No new data.
The paper shows that punishment’s “social glue” label rests on weak stories, not strong proof.
It ends with a warning: question even the most basic ABA rules.
How this fits with other research
Davison et al. (1991) already re-thought one punisher. They dropped the word “overcorrection” and called it “directed rehearsal.” Their move matches Critchfield (2014): peel off the scary label, look again.
Wehman et al. (2014) scanned 59 studies and found motivational operations drive most “punishment-worthy” behavior. Their work nudges you to assess MOs first—exactly the skeptical step Critchfield (2014) wants.
Leaf et al. (2017) and Bassett-Gunter et al. (2017) sound different—they critique RBT training and evidence standards, not punishment. Still, they share the same spirit: don’t swallow ABA dogma whole.
Why it matters
If you still say “punishment keeps society together,” this paper wants you to pause. Check the actual evidence in front of you—today’s client, today’s data. Try replacing punishment with an MO-based fix or a skill-building drill. Skepticism keeps your treatment plan sharp and your ethics clean.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Skepticism that normally focuses on pseudoscientific claims can also be directed at "established" principles of behavior. After discussing some ways in which empirically-derived principles can potentially mislead, as an illustrative example I describe some reasons to wonder whether our understanding of punishment is as established as sometimes assumed.
Behavior analysis in practice, 2014 · doi:10.3200/JRLP.138.3.197-222