Abstract

TODOROV, João Claudio. Who is afraid of aversive control?. Acta comport. [online]. 2011, vol.19, n.4, pp. 5-7. ISSN 0188-8145.

Experiments on escape, avoidance, and punishment using aversive stimulation have practically stopped for the last 30 years due to several reasons, including more strict ethical guidelines. On the applied side, behavior analysis is known for its strong preference for the use of contingencies of positive reinforcement. Here we discuss the need for continuing basic research involving aversive control as well as non experimental studies in applied situations, and the use of data collected by other approaches in psychology and any other behavioral science. Aversive control is part of life; it is not always bad, not always avoidable.

Keywords : escape; avoidance; punishment; aversive stimuli; schedules of aversive control; basic research.

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