Physical Punishment, Logical , Natural and Unnatural Consequences, and Stimulus Satiation: Three Teacher Interventions To Manage Student Behavio

When mentoring our pre-service and in-service teachers we need to describe and model both research-based and clinically tested best practices. In particular, behavioral psychology theorists and practitioners have observed that by giving or withdrawing certain positive, and/or negative reinforcers after a student’s behavior is emitted, that student’s behavior can be changed or modified.

The chart at the top of the post identifies several ways that teachers can modify a student’s behavior through manipulating the consequences. You can present something positive- (box 1), present something negative-(box 2), withdraw something positive-(box 3), or withdraw something negative-(box 4). The arrows indicate that behavior will either increase (i.e. arrow pointing up), or decrease (e.g. arrow pointing down).

In today’s post we will describe and give concrete examples of physical punishment, logical, natural and unnatural consequences and stimulus satiation.

Box 2 indicates that you can PRESENT something NEGATIVE to the student, after he or she has exhibited some inappropriate behavior. Notice that there are several types of negative interventions that a teacher can administer to a student including physical punishment, logical consequences, natural consequences, unnatural consequences,and stimulus satiation. You'll notice that the arrow in Box 2 points downward, suggesting that the negative behavior will decrease. The handout below the first chart at the top of this post offers specific classroom examples of these teacher interventions.

On the next post we will explain and give a concrete example of the teacher intervention in box number four, negative reinforcement.