Which situation exemplifies positive punishment?

• A. A dog barks inappropriately and is whacked with a newspaper.
• B. The dog sits and is rewarded with a treat.
• C. The dog stops pulling when pressure is released.
• D. The dog is ignored after jumping.

Answer: (A)

Positive punishment adds something aversive after a behavior to make that behavior less likely to happen again. In this example, the dog barks and is whacked with a newspaper. The addition of an unpleasant consequence right after the barking is intended to reduce future barking.

Other scenarios involve either adding a reward after a desired behavior (giving a treat for sitting), removing an aversive once a behavior occurs (releasing pressure after stopping pulling, which is negative reinforcement), or ignoring the behavior to reduce its occurrence over time (extinction). The barking-with-a-punishment situation is the one that fits positive punishment.