Which best exemplifies positive punishment?

• A. The seagull poops on her head and, as a result, she stays away from the boardwalk the next day.
• B. She receives a sticker for finishing a task.
• C. A student loses a privilege after misbehavior.
• D. A behavior is ignored with no consequence.

Answer: (A)

Positive punishment involves presenting an aversive stimulus after a behavior to reduce the likelihood that the behavior will occur again. Here, an unpleasant event—the seagull pooping on her head—occurs after she goes to the boardwalk, and as a result she avoids the boardwalk the next day. The addition of that aversive consequence leads to a decrease in the behavior (going to the boardwalk) in the future.

For context, other options illustrate different procedures: getting a sticker for finishing a task is positive reinforcement, since a pleasant stimulus is added to increase the behavior. Losing a privilege after misbehavior is negative punishment, because a desirable privilege is removed to decrease the behavior. Ignoring a behavior with no consequence isn’t punishment at all; it’s a lack of consequence that can lead to extinction of the behavior if it’s previously reinforced.