True or False: Positive punishment has occurred when the removal of an aversive stimulus increases the future occurrence of the behavior.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not necessarily
• D. It depends

Answer: (B)

The core idea is distinguishing positive punishment from negative reinforcement. Positive punishment adds an aversive stimulus after a behavior to reduce its future occurrence. If the removal of an aversive stimulus increases the behavior, that is negative reinforcement—removing something unpleasant to make the behavior more likely to happen. So the described scenario describes negative reinforcement, not positive punishment. Therefore the statement is false. For example, ending a loud beep when you comply reinforces compliance by removing the aversive stimulus, increasing the likelihood of compliance in the future.