Positive Punishment vs Negative Punishment
Positive punishment and negative punishment are two distinct categories of punishment in operant conditioning, a theory developed by American psychologist B. F Skinner. Both types of punishment aim to reduce the recurrence of a specific behavior but have different approaches. Positive punishment involves adding something unpleasant to reduce the behavior, while negative punishment involves removing something pleasant to discourage the behavior.
Key Takeaways
- Positive punishment includes something unpleasant to reduce a specific behavior.
- Negative punishment removes something pleasant to discourage a specific behavior.
- Both positive and negative punishment are subcategories of punishment in operant conditioning and aim to reduce the recurrence of a particular behavior.
What is Positive Punishment?
A punishment can be defined as a consequence that follows a behavior so that the recurrence of that particular behavior becomes less often in the future. Positive punishment can be defined as the inclusion of something unpleasant, so the initial behavior is reduced. For example, a driver who ignores road signs and drives irresponsibly is asked to pay a fine. In this example, the misbehavior is driving irresponsibly, and the inclusion is the paying of the fine.
What is Negative Punishment?
In contrast, negative punishment involves removing something pleasant. For example, a child performs poorly in academics and makes no attempt to work hard, playing around all day long and being disinterested in studies. The parent decides to give the child a punishment by limiting the hours of leisure. This is an example of negative punishment because something that the child enjoys (the activity of playing) has been removed.
What is the difference between Positive Punishment and Negative Punishment?
Positive punishment and negative punishment are both subcategories of punishment in operant conditioning, aiming to reduce the recurrence of a particular behavior. The key difference between the two is that while something negative is added in positive punishment to reduce the recurrence of a specific behavior, something positive is removed in negative punishment. In both cases, by adding or removing something, a pattern of behavior considered wrong is discouraged.
