A professional baseball player get a hit approximately every third time at bat. A charitable organization makes an average of ten phone calls for every donation it receives. A student's final grade improves one level for every three book reviews submitted. For example, the boy should be punished for playing with the hammer, not for breaking the vase. Punishment that is certain and immediate is most effective.
Generalization can occur in both classical and operant conditioning.
Analyze the current situation. Test the reinforcer by eliminating it to see whether the rate of responding decreases. Reinstate the reinforcer. Studies show that the rate of responding rises during periods of reinforcement, and falls during periods of extinction. Perhaps positive reinforcers, such as food, would also work.