Comments on paper by Dunham

Changes in a Multiple‐response Repertoire During Response‐contingent Punishment and Response Restriction: Sequential Relationships

“…A similar point can be made with respect to analyses of punishment based upon notions about the "functional relevance" of particular responses. These positions (e.g., Bolles, 1970;Herring, 1979;Walters & Glazer, 1971) argue that certain species-typical activities (e.g., defensive reactions) are refractory to the effects of punishment, whereas other activities are uniquely susceptible to manipulation as avoidance responses. When applied in the context of multiple-response baseline procedures, these arguments imply that certain responses will not be suppressed by aversive stimulation, whereas others will be facilitated depending upon their category of "functional relevance."…”

On categories of behavior and control groups in multiple-response procedures

“…I think that it is accurate to state that three basic criticisms can be extracted from Herring's (1979) comments on my recent punishment experiments (1978).…”