The use of an unpleasant stimulus to modify behavior—we avoid this as much as possible. Usually in training this is used as Positive Punishment (“Avoidance training”—learning to avoid punishment by not doing something), but it is also used with Negative Reinforcement (“Escape Training”— learning to shut-off something unpleasant with behavior). The use of aversive techniques are less effective than the use of positive reinforcement and negative punishment. Aversive stimuli triggers the Sympathetic Nervous System and then systems of protection come online. Systems of protection and systems of social engagement cannot be online at the same time, and so it seems counterproductive to try and use aversive stimuli to train with, when social engagement is more powerful and longer lasting method of shaping behavior.
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