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Submissive Conditioning, Training and Development
by Cross
www.CrossCultureBDSM.com
CrossCultureBDSM@gmail.com

NOTE: This was a handout designed to act as an anchor point in the context of a much larger discussion. This is not
inclusive of all information presented in the class and should not be taken as a complete resource.

The World According To Me

The ideas, theories, and crazy schemes presented herein are the sole perspective and
opinion of the presenter, who encourages attendees and readers to seek out other
perspectives and ideas, especially those that disagree with him, before deciding on a
path for themselves. Cross is not an expert of any kind related to this practice and does
not guarantee any particular result from its use. Play at your own risk profile.
The Three Aims of Submissive Training and Development:
While the goals of training will always be determined by those involved, the following
three areas are the most common and tend to have the highest priority

Submissive Skill/Behavior Development

The purpose of this section is to learn skills, knowledge, or behaviors that can be
valuable in a variety of settings with a variety of dominant partners.
o Household Management
o Personal Attendance
o Sexual Services
o Business Communication and Organization
o Event Coordination
o Interpersonal Skills
Dominants Individual Preferences
The purpose of this section is to learn the preferences of specific dominant
partner(s) for use during service to them.
o How they like their food prepared
o Their daily or weekly schedule and what you can do to help with it
o How much pressure they like during a massage
o What are their favorite fetishes
o Protocols, rules, and consequences
Personal Goals
The purpose of this section is to continue personal growth as an individual
according to your own dreams and drives.
o Things you are embarrassed that you cant do well
o Eliminating a bad habit
o Abilities or skills that you are proud of
o Things that you always wanted to learn
o Abilities that will be useful in your future career
o Hobbies that keep you sane and focused

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Identifying the proclivities of the submissive and determining the

submissives role
What does the submissive get out of the D/s relationship?
What fulfills them and drives their submission?

Desire for Active Service Active services are those things that the submissive
does for others, such as cooking, performing oral sex, or managing the
dominants schedule.

Desire for Passive Service Passive services are those things that the submissive
allows to be done to them for the pleasure or benefit of others, such as flogging,
sexual use, or body painting.

Independence To what level does the submissive desire to act on their own,
without the direct instruction of the dominant?

Selflessness To what degree does pleasing or benefitting others motivate them?

These factors are used to determine:

1. Whether you are compatible in a D/s relationship, and whether training is likely
to result in a strong, positive relationship.
2. The training approach that is most likely to yield success.

What Is Conditioning? (Behavioral Learning)

Conditioning is a behavioral process whereby a response becomes more frequent or
more predictable in a given environment as a result of reinforcement, with
reinforcement typically being a stimulus or reward for a desired response.
Conditioning is a form of learning in which either (1) a given stimulus (or signal)
becomes increasingly effective in evoking a response or (2) a response occurs with
increasing regularity in a well-specified and stable environment.

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Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning modifies the respondent
patterns of the submissive by associating two
unrelated sensations/stimuli so that both illicit
the same reaction.

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Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning is the use of
consequences to modify the voluntary behavior
of the submissive by associating certain choices
and behavior with a defined set of
consequences.

INCREASES
the likelihood
of behavior
being repeated

DECREASES
the likelihood
of behavior
being repeated

Something is
GIVEN/
ADDED

Something is
TAKEN/
REMOVED

POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT

NEGATIVE
REINFORCEMENT

(+R)

(-R)

POSITIVE
PUNISHMENT

NEGATIVE
PUNISHMENT

(+P)

(+R)

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Reinforcement
is a consequence that encourages a specific behavior

Positive Reinforcement (Reward)

Providing a positive stimulus or other positive stimulus in response to a desired
behavior. Ex: The submissive gets to have an orgasm if they keep the house clean.

Negative Reinforcement (Escape/Relief/Avoidance)

Removing an averse stimulus in response to a desired behavior. Ex: Removing the

chastity device for the evening if they correctly cook the meal you request. This can
result in either direct response training (Whenever they here the annoying noise,
they do a specific action to make it stop) or in active avoidance, where they perform
the desired behavior to avoid the negative stimulus altogether.

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Punishment
is a consequence that discourages a specific behavior

Positive Punishment (Punishment)

Providing an averse stimulus in response to an undesired behavior. Ex: Shocking the
submissives balls with a cattle prod when they speak out of turn.

(PS I am not suggesting you do this)

Negative Punishment (Penalty)

Removing a positive stimulus in response to an undesired behavior. Ex: Taking away
the submissives favorite sex toy when they forget to do the laundry.

(Many interesting curse words can result from this)

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REVIEW (BECAUSE ITS IMPORTANT):

Operant Conditioning

Reinforcement

Punishment

Increases Behavior

Decreases Behavior

Postive

Negative

Postive

Negative

Something
Given/Added

Something
Taken/Removed

Something
Given/Added

Something
Taken/Removed

Escape

Active
Avoidance

Extinction

(No, not that kind)

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Reinforcement and Punishment Schedules

The consistency/regularity of the punishment or reward

Ratio Schedule:
The reward or punishment occurs after a specific number of occurrences of the target
behavior
o Continuous: The punishment or reward is administered every time the
behavior occurs.
Example: Vending Machine
o Fixed Ratio: The punishment or reward is administered every nth time the
behavior occurs.
Example: Car wash punch card. Your 10th wash is free!
o Variable Ratio: The punishment or reward is administered, on average,
every nth time the behavior occurs, but not always exactly on the nth
occurrence.
Example: Slot machine

Interval Schedule:
The reward or punishment has a maximum frequency but is still conditional on
behavior.
o Fixed Interval: A set amount of time must pass before a reward or
punishment will be administered after the previous reward or punishment.
Example: Free coffee with purchase, limit one per customer per day.
o Variable Interval: An indeterminate amount of time passes between a
reward or punishment being administered, which is still conditional on
behavior.
Example: Fishing. Checking email. Pop quizzes. Random drug tests.

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Differential Reinforcement (DR)

Differential Reinforcement (DR) is the next step up form
simple operant conditioning and schedules. It has two
important characteristics, first that it emphasizes positive
reinforcement over all others, and second that focuses on
behavior related to the target behavior as well.
DR works to achive:
1.
2.
3.
4.

A decrease in frequency of the target behavior (DRL)

The absence of the target behavior (DRO)
An increase in behaviors which prevent the target behavior (DRI)
The substitution of a preferred behavior (DRA)

Differential Reinforcement Chart Distributed At a Recent Teachers

Conference (Author unknown):

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Process for Implementing a Training Program

1. Observe, Collect Data, Document
2. Make a Plan and Write it Down
3. Share the Plan with the Submissive (At least some of it)
4. Implement the plan consistently and objectively
5. Observe, Collect Data, Document
6. Adjust Often

Potential Causes of Failure:

1. Ineffective Reinforcers - The reinforcers aren't reinforcing
2. Inconsistent delivery of reinforcers
3. The submissive is unable to engage in the alternative/desired behavior
4. The reinforcers were faded out too quickly
5. The reinforcers were faded out too slowly
6. "Generalization" to other environments/conditions was not promoted

A Few Last Things

Consider your Submissives level of experience
Multiple partners and other life issues
Training Without a Dominant

BACK TO PAGE 1

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Other Classes This Weekend On This (Or Similar) Topic:

Eric Pride The Master/slave Lifestyle: How Does It Work Friday 9:15am
Sir Guy and Girl Karida Power Exchange Relationships Friday 10:45am
Master Obsidian and slave Namaste TPE: Slavery in Real Life Saturday 1:00pm
Andrew Love Guide to Effective Discipline Sunday 9:45am
Helpful Links:
Mentoring, Self-Help and Submissive Exploration
www.submissiveguide.com
One of the most comprehensive submissive resource and support sites Ive ever found.
Great for un-partnered submissives who wish to better themselves without a dominant.
Wikipedia:
Dominance and Submission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domination_%26_submission_(BDSM)
Submissives (BDSM)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submissive_(BDSM)
Operant Conditioning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning
Classical Conditioning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_conditioning
Recommended Reading:
Abernathy, C. Training With Miss Abernathy: A Workbook for Erotic Slaves
and Their Owners, California: Greenery Press, 1998. ISBN 1890159077
(As well as the companion book: Miss Abernathy's Concise Slave Training Manual)
Easton, E & Hardy, JW. The New Bottoming Book. Greenery Press, 2003. ISBN
1890159352
Reilly, S. The Submissive Activity Book: Building Blocks To Better Service.
New York: CreateSpace. 2008. ISBN 1440470499.
Rinella, J. Partners in Power: Living in Kinky Relationships. Greenery Press,
2003. ISBN 1890159506
Warren, J. & Warren, L. The Loving Dominant, Greenery Press, 2008, ISBN
1890159727
DIRECT LINKS TO PURCHASE ALL OF THESE BOOKS ABOVE ARE AVAILABLE
FROM THE BOOKSHELF PAGE AT
www.CrossCultureBDSM.com/Bookshelf
The information and theories represented in this handout and the accompanying presentation represents the work of many
prominent behavioral theorists, including, but not limited to: Vladimir Bekhterev, Ivan Pavlov. Alan E. Kazdin, Albert Bandura,
Sidney W. Bijou, Edwin Ray Guthrie, Richard J. Herrnstein, Clark L. Hull, Fred S. Keller, Neal E. Miller, Marsha M. Linehan, O. ,
obart Mowrer, Charles E. Osgood, Kenneth W. Spence, B.F. Skinner, Edward Lee Thorndike, Edward C. Tolman, Murray Sidman,
John B. Watson, Ole Ivar Lovaas, Steven C. Hayes, Donald Baer, Dermot Barnes-Holmes