Positive punishment involves which of the following?

• A. Eliminating a behavior by adding something aversive (like hitting or shocking)
• B. Increasing a behavior with rewards
• C. Removing a stimulus after a behavior
• D. Ignoring the behavior

Answer: (A)

Positive punishment means adding an aversive consequence after a behavior to reduce its future occurrence. The idea is that introducing something unpleasant when the undesired behavior happens makes it less likely to occur again. This differs from positive reinforcement, which strengthens a behavior by adding something desirable; from negative punishment, which reduces a behavior by removing a desirable stimulus; and from extinction (ignoring), which reduces behavior by withholding attention or reinforcement altogether. An example is giving extra chores or scolding after the misbehavior to decrease its frequency.