Risley, T. R. (1968).
The effects and side effects of punishing the autistic behaviors of a deviant child.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
1, 21-34.
Timeout procedures in the home and extinction and reinforcement
of incompatible behaviors in the laboratory failed to eliminate
the disruptive and dangerous climbing behavior of a deviant
child. Punishment with electric shock was used to eliminate this
behavior in the laboratory and then in the home. The effects were
reversible and were restricted to specific stimulus conditions. A
less severe form of punishment was used to eliminate the child's
autistic rocking. Other behaviors of the subject were
continuously measured in the laboratory to determine the side
effects of punishment. No suppression of other behaviors
correlated with punishment was noted. However, the rate of some
behaviors increased when punishment was used to eliminate deviant
behaviors, but these increases were, primarily, desirable.