Which of the following is the best example of positive punishment?
a. praise for doing chores results in increased chore completion
b. spanking a child for not obeying rules results in decreases in disobedience
c. taking away a child’s TV privileges results in increased chore completion
d. taking aspirin for a headache increases when followed by removal of the pain
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is b. spanking a child for not obeying rules results in decreased disobedience.
Explanation:
In the context of behavioral psychology, positive punishment refers to the addition of an aversive stimulus following a behavior, which decreases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again. In this case, the behavior (not obeying rules) is followed by the aversive stimulus (spanking), and as a result, the behavior (disobedience) decreases. This is a classic example of positive punishment because an undesirable outcome is added (spanking) to reduce the frequency of an undesired behavior (disobedience).
Here’s how the other options compare:
- a. praise for doing chores results in increased chore completion: This is an example of positive reinforcement, not punishment. Positive reinforcement occurs when a desirable stimulus (praise) is added to increase the likelihood of a behavior (chore completion) happening again in the future.
- c. taking away a child’s TV privileges results in increased chore completion: This is an example of negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus (TV privileges) to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior (chore completion). Here, the removal of privileges motivates the child to do the chores.
- d. taking aspirin for a headache increases when followed by removal of the pain: This is another example of negative reinforcement. The removal of pain (aversive stimulus) following the action of taking aspirin makes the individual more likely to take aspirin again in the future when they have a headache.
In summary, positive punishment works by adding something undesirable to decrease an unwanted behavior. In this case, the spanking (an added aversive stimulus) decreases the child’s disobedience, making it the best example of positive punishment.