Identifying Positive Punishment- A Closer Look at Examples in Behavior Modification
Which of the following is an example of positive punishment?
Positive punishment refers to the addition of an aversive stimulus following a behavior, which decreases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. It is a common technique used in various contexts, including animal training, education, and even in personal life. In this article, we will explore different scenarios to determine which one best exemplifies positive punishment.
One possible example could be a dog trainer using a loud noise to discourage a dog from jumping on guests. When the dog jumps, the trainer emits a loud noise, causing the dog to associate the action with the unpleasant sound. As a result, the dog is less likely to jump on guests in the future, demonstrating the effectiveness of positive punishment.
Another scenario could involve a child being grounded for misbehaving. In this case, the loss of privileges, such as being grounded, serves as the aversive stimulus. The child learns that misbehaving leads to a negative consequence, thus reducing the likelihood of similar behavior in the future.
However, it is essential to differentiate positive punishment from negative punishment, which involves the removal of a desirable stimulus to decrease a behavior. For instance, if the dog is given a treat every time it sits, but loses the treat when it jumps, this would be an example of negative punishment, not positive punishment.
Now, let’s analyze the options to determine which one represents positive punishment:
A. A child receiving a reward for completing their homework promptly.
B. A dog being given a treat for sitting on command.
C. A teacher taking away a student’s phone during class for using it during lessons.
D. A student earning extra credit for participating in class discussions.
After careful consideration, the correct answer is:
C. A teacher taking away a student’s phone during class for using it during lessons.
This scenario involves the addition of an aversive stimulus (taking away the phone) following the undesirable behavior (using the phone during class), which is characteristic of positive punishment. The other options either involve positive reinforcement (A and B) or negative reinforcement (D), which are different concepts in operant conditioning.
