What is positive punishment?

What is positive punishment?

• A. Adding something unpleasant to decrease behavior
• B. Removing something desirable to decrease behavior
• C. Adding something desirable to increase behavior
• D. Removing something undesirable to decrease behavior

Answer: (A)

Positive punishment means adding an unpleasant consequence after a behavior to reduce how often that behavior occurs. The idea is that by introducing something undesirable, the behavior becomes less likely in the future. For example, giving extra chores after misbehavior or a scolding after disrupting a class are ways the consequence is added to discourage the behavior. This differs from removing a desirable thing to decrease behavior (negative punishment), or from adding a desirable thing to increase behavior (positive reinforcement). It also contrasts with removing an aversive stimulus to increase behavior (negative reinforcement), which would not aim to reduce the behavior.

Positive punishment means adding an unpleasant consequence after a behavior to reduce how often that behavior occurs. The idea is that by introducing something undesirable, the behavior becomes less likely in the future. For example, giving extra chores after misbehavior or a scolding after disrupting a class are ways the consequence is added to discourage the behavior.

This differs from removing a desirable thing to decrease behavior (negative punishment), or from adding a desirable thing to increase behavior (positive reinforcement). It also contrasts with removing an aversive stimulus to increase behavior (negative reinforcement), which would not aim to reduce the behavior.