ANALYSIS OF PUNISHMENT DEFINITIONS IN BRAZILIAN THESES AND DISSERTATIONS: CONSIDERATIONS ON SYMMETRY AND ASYMMETRY

Abstract

Two definitions of punishment have been frequently referred to by behavior analysts: Skinner’s and Azrin and Holz’s definitions. Skinner’s definition is operational; Azrin and Holz’s definition is both operational and processual, being the most referred to in the international literature. The aim of this study was to characterize the definitions of the concept of punishment presented in Brazilian dissertations and theses, and to identify which authors were used as references. The search for the studies was done in databases and Lattes curricula. Seventeen theses and dissertations were analyzed. It was identified if the studies presented or not definitions of punishment, and for the studies which presented them, the definitions were classified as: Operational; Operational/Processual; Both. It was verified that the number of studies about punishment has been growing since the 2000s, and that most of them either did not present a definition of the concept of punishment or presented both of them. Most of the studies that presented both definitions focused on the theme of symmetry versus asymmetry between reinforcement and punishment, and the studies that did not present a definition investigated the effects of punishment on different operants. Although the analysis indicates a tendency towards the symmetrical positioning in the studies that did not present a definition, it has been possible to verify that, recently, studies on the issue of symmetry versus asymmetry have been conducted.Keywords: Behavior analysis; Punishment; Literature review.